LEGENDS - Star Wars Eons Episode V: The Final Betrayal
by JSN7
Summary: It has been 28 years since the Empire was toppled by Xur Eon and the Revanites. The Jedi Order has returned, led by Grand Master Luke Skywalker, and the galaxy is finally at peace. Under this comforting lie, an evil has begun its rise, and it will come in the form of one closest to the Skywalker Family. Xur Eon's final test has begun, and it may cost him everything he loves.
1. Foreword

**FOREWORD**

 _Star Wars Eons_ started with a simple idea: insert a captivating character into the Clone Wars television series and watch how he would adapt to a rapidly-changing galaxy. Now, it has grown into something far bigger than that. Xur Eon changed history in his war against the Empire, as well as his Sith-propelled mission to destroy Darth Sidious and restore the Republic.

Ahsoka Tano is my favorite Star Wars character, and her relationship with Xur resulted in the birth of something new. Petra Eon is the fruits of my labor in creating this alternate timeline, and is, no pun intended, "my baby", if you will. I hope you grow to love her as much as I have writing this story.

 _The Final Betrayal_ is a Legends-Timeline story, so forget the stories Disney has told you post Return of the Jedi, as well as the iterations of the characters we all know and love. This, to me, is the galaxy they should've created (minus my created characters, of course). The story is of my creation, but some scenes and events stem directly from the _Legacy of the Force_ series, authored by Aaron Allston, Karen Traviss, and Troy Denning, respectively. The books depicted include: _Betrayal_ , _Bloodlines_ , _Tempest_ , _Exile_ , and _Sacrifice_ , and credit should be given to those authors for the scenes I have chosen to re-create.

I want to thank everyone who has given me positive feedback and constructive criticism throughout this journey, and I'm happy to say it's time to return to the Eons story. So, with great pleasure, I present:

 **STAR WARS Eons Episode V: The Final Betrayal**

* * *

 **Important Birth Year Changes:**

Jagged Fel- 3 ABY

Zekk- 3 ABY

Jacen Solo- 5 ABY

Jaina Solo-5 ABY

Tenel-Ka- 6 ABY

Anakin Solo- 7 ABY

Tahiri Veila- 9 ABY

Ben Skywalker- 17 ABY

* * *

 **Important Story Omissions (So I don't get a ton of questions on this):**

The Thrawn Trilogy (Events of _Star Wars Eons: Countdown_ make it impossible)

The New Jedi Order (It has been altered, and I will be revisiting it)

The Dark Nest Trilogy ( _The Final Betrayal_ technically happens before this anyhow)

* * *

 **Dramatis Personae**

Ahsoka Tano Eon- Jedi Master

Ben Skywalker- Jedi Padawan

Cal Omas- Chief of State; Galactic Alliance

Gilad Pellaeon- Supreme Commander; Galactic Alliance

Han Solo- Alliance Pilot

Jacen Solo- Jedi Knight

Jagged Fel- Revanite Pilot

Jaina Solo- Jedi General

Leia Organa Solo- Jedi Knight

Luke Skywalker- Grand Master; Jedi Order

Lumiya- Dark Lady of the Sith

Mara Jade Skywalker- Jedi Master

Natia Telos- Grand Admiral; Order of Revan

Petra Eon- Revanite General

Remus Jarrut- Prime Minister; Order of Revan

Tahiri Veila- Jedi Knight

Thrackan Sal-Solo- Chief of State; Corellian Insurgent States

Reyna Vorchenko- Supreme Commander; Order of Revan

Xiso Ordo- Mandalorian Warrior

Xur Eon- Former Supreme Commander; Order of Revan

Zekk- Jedi Knight


	2. Negotiations

_A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…_

 **STAR WARS: EONS**

 **Episode V**

 **THE FINAL BETRAYAL**

 _It is a time of crisis in the galaxy. Hundreds of planets are threatening to leave the Galactic Alliance, their efforts spearheaded by the planet of Corellia, claiming that the former New Republic has the makings of a new galactic empire._

 _Even with the newly signed Azure Accords, unrest continues to spread, and there are rumors that the Order of Revan is backing the Corellian Insurgent States, only sparking tension between the two galactic superpowers._

 _In an attempt to quell the situation, the Prime Minister of the Order of Revan and the Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance dispatch a contingent of Jedi knights to Naboo, where important negotiations are set to take place…_

* * *

 **Naboo Orbit**

 **Corellian Insurgent States (CIS), Galactic Alliance**

 **30 ABY**

The cockpit of the Alliance attack shuttle was quiet as it left from the Interdictor-class capital ship hangar, unfolding its wings as it blasted off towards the Insurgent blockade. The blue-green planet of Naboo slowly spun behind it, its beauty just as it was in the days of the Old Republic.

The pilot kept a direct course while two cloaked Jedi knights looked on from behind, his attention fully ahead.

"Pilot," one of the Jedi said. "Inform their Admiral that we have waited long enough. We will be boarding at once."

"Yes sir," he replied, opening a communication channel to the large frigate they were approaching in the blockade. After a few moments, a hologram appeared of a uniformed human male, his clothing reminiscent of the Rebel Alliance. "With all due respect, the ambassadors wish to board at once."

" _Very well_ ," the man replied. " _We await their arrival_."

After the confirmation, the shuttle picked up speed, approaching the opposing hangar and landing with the trained ease of an Alliance pilot.

Once the landing cycle had completed, the pilot cleared the Jedi for departure. "Wait here until we return," one of the Jedi ordered. After they received a nod from the pilot, the Jedi descended the loading ramp and into the hangar. They were greeted to the sight of multiple X-wing starfighters, along with what one of them recognized as vulture droids. Despite initial reports, the blockade was far more armed than anticipated.

They crossed the hangar to a somewhat circular door, where a dark blue protocol droid was waiting for them. "Hello," the droid greeted them in a female voice. "I am CI-24, if you would please follow me."

The droid led them down the hallway a few meters before turning into a conference room, complete with a window looking out towards Naboo. "On behalf of the Corellian States, we are honored with your presence. Make yourselves comfortable, my masters will be here to greet you shortly."

Once the droid had finished, they shut the door behind them, leaving the Jedi alone in the conference room. Away from prying eyes, they both pulled over their hoods.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Ahsoka Tano said, crossing her arms. "Those were vulture droids back there. I haven't seen those in almost 50 years."

The togruta was 66 years old by now, but her knowledge in the Force hadn't slowed her down even a step. Her appearance was largely unchanged, besides various scars riddled across her skin from the many years of battle she had taken part in. Her white robes and hints of gold were hidden behind her brown cloak, but she didn't need the glamor for people to know who she was. Many titles had been given to her; Clone Wars veteran, The Fierce Commander, Hero of the Rebellion, Hero of Tython, and more recently, the Vanguard of Light. She disregarded many of them, much more preferring to be simply called by her name.

"I agree, Master," Jaina Solo, her former apprentice, followed up. "There's something unsettling about this place."

Jaina Solo was one of the twins born of Rebellion heroes Leia Organa and Han Solo. Born five years after the Battle of Yavin, she had grown into a powerful Jedi Knight, and one of the best pilots in the Revanite Navy. Ahsoka had on many occasions compared her skills to that of her old master, Anakin Skywalker. While that name was still tainted with the scourge of Darth Vader, all members of the New Jedi Order were sure to be made aware of Anakin's true self: the general who fought fiercely for the Republic during the Clone Wars. She did her best to live up to that legacy, especially with his blood flowing through her veins.

Ahsoka stretched out with her heightened senses, feeling each lifeform roaming through the halls of the frigate. There was much self-assurance and pride, but behind that…something sinister…illusive.

"I sense it too. There may be a bigger hand behind this mystery," Ahsoka said as they paced towards the window.

"I thought with the Azure Accords and the concessions both the Revanites and Alliance made, they might back down," Jaina figured.

The Azure Accords was the largest galactic agreement since the Treaty of Bespin and served as an attempt to appease growing resentment inside both Revanite and Alliance borders. Only 8 years back was the Order of Revan engaged in a civil war against a resurgent Mandalore, a conflict that lasted three years longer than it should have. Mandalore ultimately surrendered, but not after billions of deaths across Revanite territory. The splintering revolt had crippled their military, forcing the New Republic to rearm itself in a matter of protection, as the Revanites could no longer serve as their police force. The Accords reformed the New Republic into a more autonomous collection of states, dubbed the Galactic Alliance, and the Order of Revan granted semi-independence to Mandalore, although demilitarized, and the Pentastar Alignment, which was a concentrated area of pro-Empire planets.

Perhaps the most important part of the agreement however was the declared neutrality of Coruscant, allowing it to serve as joint capitals of both superpowers. On paper, that meant more cooperation, but so far it has only resulted in more border disputes and friction.

"We may have just ended up empowering them, as Master Eon mentioned, and I may be falling into agreement with him," Ahsoka said, taking a seat at the table. Jaina did the same, her medium-length brown hair settling into place. The togruta could feel her impatience, illustrated by her black-gloved fingers tapping atop the table.

"I hate all the politics," Jaina eventually said. "I don't know how my mother puts up with all this."

Ahsoka scoffed. "That's definitely something your father would say. I've always leaned more towards action, but diplomacy should never be overlooked if it is possible."

"I remember," Jaina said, and then smiled. "That reminds me of when we were stuck on Felucia, and you cut a deal with the natives for food and shelter after agreeing to a trial by combat."

Ahsoka laughed, although remembering how worried she was that she wouldn't get Leia's daughter back to her safely. "That was a close one."

* * *

At the bridge of that same frigate, which went by the name _Helios_ , Admiral Constantious of the CIS Navy impatiently awaited the report from CI-24, who was waddling its way towards him from the bridge entrance. Despite this, he kept a calm and collected demeanor present, as to not rattle the crew members working around him.

He didn't consider himself a rebel, but he was Corellian, and if his world wanted independence, then he would get it for her.

CI-24 stopped as soon as it was within a few feet of him. "Who are the ambassadors?" he asked.

"The ambassadors are Jedi knights, I believe," the droid replied. "I am unsure who specifically."

The Admiral grimaced. Jedi were based from Coruscant, a neutral planet, and were recognized under Alliance and Revanite law as enforcers, which essentially ensured them jurisdiction across the entire galaxy.

"This complicates things," he said, and then sent the droid back to tend to their guests. News such as this could not go unreported. He made his way back to the holo-table aboard the bridge and punched in a specific transmission code. "I need privacy," he declared, and all his subordinates left the area to himself. Closing the blinders around him, he pushed the transmission through.

The table flashed and revealed a holo image of a hooded figure, their features completely concealed aside from strips of cloth covering where their mouth should be. " _What is it?_ " the figure asked in a female voice.

"There's been a complication, the ambassadors the Alliance sent are Jedi knights," he revealed. "I am unsure as how to proceed."

The woman grumbled but didn't show any signs of distress. " _This development is unfortunate. My plan is not ready to begin. Bring the fleet to Malastare and await my next instructions._ "

"Of course, my lord," he said. "And the Jedi?"

" _Kill them._ "

* * *

A violent surge in the Force forced Ahsoka to her feet, instinctually calling one of her brilliant gold sabers to her hand. The special hilt emitted a powerful initial burst and then deep, dark hum as she stood motionless, trying to pinpoint the sudden disturbance. Jaina had sensed it too, her purple blade drawn at the ready.

The shuttle was the source. The pilot was dead, along with the small clone security team that had accompanied them. Ahsoka sent out silent thanks for their sacrifice, and then turned her attention back to their current situation. A sound of smoke came from the vents, and her eyes locked on a green mist beginning to fill the room.

"Dioxis!" Ahsoka yelled, and then reached out with the Force, deactivating her saber and creating two large protective bubbles around each of their heads. "Don't move."

Jaina stayed still as she collapsed her blade, her eyes darting around as the green mist was stopped from coming within striking distance of her nostrils or mouth. Even with the protection, she refused to breathe. She would've likely struggled to hold a technique like this for an extended period of time, but this was child's play for Ahsoka. In fact, she had learned the technique from Obi-Wan back in the Clone Wars.

The room was completely filled with the green smoke, and Ahsoka's ears picked up the noise from the vents coming to an end. Now, it was only a matter of time until their failed assassins returned to finish the job.

Ahsoka noticed Jaina's face beginning to turn blue. "Hey, just breathe! The air around you is clean," she insisted while concentrating.

Jaina was smart to not take a desperate gasp, only sharp breaths to replenish her lungs to avoid sucking in all the clean air around her.

After a few minutes, the door opened, and the green mist was so thick their bodies were concealed from whoever had come to kill them off.

"Check it out Corporal, we'll cover you," Ahsoka heard, and in a familiar mechanical voice.

"Roger, roger."

 _Battle droids?_ She thought to herself. Not just any battle droids, but more specifically _the_ battle droids. The backbone of the Separatist army back in the Clone Wars, mainly the B1 and B2 units. Hearing that they were in operation under Insurgent control was troubling, and only enticed her to find out the true reason why Corellia had become so hostile to the Galactic Alliance. The best way to do that was to speak to their leaders, and they were on the bridge.

Her mind made up, she looked to Jaina and signaled she was going to cut the bubbles from existence, and they both took a deep breath. Once Ahsoka had dropped her control, the green smoke filled in all around them.

A gold and purple saber ignited from the smoke. "Uh oh," one of the droids said. "Blast them!" Laser bolts erupted from each of their blasters but were only sent right back where they had come, dropping two of the six B1 units to the hallway floor.

Jaina leapt out of the haze, her lightsaber cleaving one droid in half before it could react, and Ahsoka followed suit, backing up her former Padawan until they had cleared their welcoming party completely.

Ahsoka deactivated her blades, taking a knee so she could get a look at their droid assailants. "Yep, just as I thought," she said. "B1 units."

"You think the Corellian States are building a droid army?" Jaina asked, keeping an eye out for more.

"I don't know," Ahsoka admitted, turning to look down the long hallway, spotting another battalion on their way. "But this is starting to look frighteningly familiar," she then activated her wrist comm. "Dragon, this is Aurora. We have confirmed Separatist droid presence. Be advised and be sure to warn Phoenix."

* * *

"Copy that, Aurora," Jacen Solo confirmed, his knees giving a clear indication that they did not enjoy crawling inside the ventilation ducts. "We're almost in position."

The second of the Solo twins, Jacen was the more "Jedi-like" of the two. As one of the Jedi who initially stayed out of the Second Mandalorian War, his knowledge of various Force studies was second to none. Even Luke Skywalker found Jacen difficult to compete with, and he was widely regarded as the Order's most gifted member. He was very close to his sister, even if she had decided to follow the Revanites to war against Mandalore when he had not.

"Ow!" the woman behind him grunted after a metallic impact. "Sometimes I wish I didn't have lekku so damn big."

Jacen chuckled. "I agree. It would help us stay incognito more often."

Petra Eon glared at his backside as she crawled behind him. "Very funny."

The togruta-zabrak was not only the first of her hybrid species, she was the prodigal daughter of Ahsoka Tano and Xur Eon, two of the most famous warriors in the current galaxy. This, unfortunately, correlated into her becoming somewhat of a celebrity at birth, which was why she was raised on the secluded Rakata Prime, away from all the attention. That didn't mean she was kept _away_ from people, but she hadn't spent time in the wider galaxy until she was 13 years old. When she was 16, she joined her father to fight the Mandalorians, and developed a close relationship with Jaina Solo, who was her mother's apprentice.

Despite that, she quietly preferred to work with her brother, Jacen.

"Why is it that we always get the dirty jobs?" Petra complained. "You'd think Master Skywalker would put a Revanite Marauder at the _front_ of the operation."

" _Huh_ , maybe he wanted a diplomatic solution, rather than having you charge forward and burn down everything in your path?" Jacen suggested, with a grin she couldn't see.

"Well that's no fun."

Jacen rolled his eyes and stopped, reactivating his commlink. "Phoenix, this is Dragon. Aurora has confirmed Separatist droid contact and has already been engaged. We are at our designated point and will be dropping from the duct as planned."

" _Copy that Dragon,_ " Luke Skywalker acknowledged. " _Be careful_."

"Always am," Jacen assured, and then cut the transmission. "Alright Petra, let's-," he was cut off by the sound of a lightsaber ignition and the heat of melting metal behind him. "What are you doing?" he demanded, but only received the sound of the bottom of the duct slamming into the floor below and the 27-year-old woman dropping through, followed by the shriek of surprised droid units as a lightsaber cleaved them in two.

"I hate it when she does that," he grumbled to himself, and then pulled the vent grate from the duct and slid through, only to find the entire droid patrol already disposed of. Petra's violet blades collapsed into their hilts, and she returned them to her belt in time for him to ready his own.

Her clothing was mainly armored robing, much more militarized than any Jedi in the Order, perhaps because she technically _wasn't_ a Jedi. The only part of her body that wasn't covered was her face and fingers, which revealed her fiery red-orange skin. The lekku around her head was that of any other togruta, but there were three zabrak horns atop her forehead, accurately surrounded by white traditional designs. Blue eyes of brilliant determination and confidence topped everything off.

Jacen was dressed less sophisticatedly, adopting a much more Jedi look. He was slightly armored but followed Luke's doctrine of attempting to have the Jedi look less like military generals, even if they were serving as ones. His robes were deep brown, almost cookie-cutter.

"Thank you for proving my point," Jacen mocked, returning his hilt to his belt.

Petra rolled her eyes, and he began to sense her annoyance building. "Whatever. Let's just move."

He elected to say nothing more, as he preferred not to upset one of the most violent Force wielders in the galaxy. Jacen had always felt that his command of the Force was elite, along with his Skywalker bloodline, but there was something _different_ about her. There was something ancient about Petra, something he could never quite put his finger on what or why exactly.

Whatever it was, he was glad she was on his side.

They had landed in the exact hall of the _Helios_ that they had gone over in their plan, which meant that their destination was not far. His senses spiked, and he quickly recognized the fire of combat being ignited in his bond with his sister. Jaina was doing battle, but he found no inclination towards pain.

Petra took the lead, as always, and they were lucky enough to avoid droid patrols until they reached the operations center. The door had two B2 super battle droids posted outside, and Petra and Jacen ducked behind a lip in the hallway wall before a patrol of B1s ran by.

"They must be going after Jaina and your mother," Jacen whispered.

"Probably a good guess," Petra said, her eyes fixed on the door. "I've never fought a real B2 unit. I guess it's time to find out if they're as tough as Dad says."

Before she could charge out, Jacen pulled her back with a firm grip on her arm. "Wait, I brought droid poppers."

Petra gave him a disappointed look, crossing her arms. "You sure know how to take the fun out of _everything_."

Jacen flashed a knowing smile, "A Jedi is never to crave adventure, for-."

Petra couldn't stop herself from smiling, knowing he was teasing her. "Yeah, yeah, save your lessons for the Younglings at the Temple."

He readied the grenades in his hand. "You should come by, maybe teach them a thing or two about Vaapad?"

"Yeah!" she whispered sarcastically. "And teach them how to fight with passion and anger, just like a true Jedi should!"

He shrugged, rolling the grenades out into the hall, and then watched as their discharge overloaded the droids and sent them crashing down. "Don't knock it until you try it."

Once it was clear, she turned to him. "Alright Doctor No Fun, maybe you would want to lead the way?"

* * *

Ahsoka plunged her gold blade into the blast door blocking them from the bridge, the metal instantly melting into liquid around it. B1 units were still attempting to apprehend them, but Jaina was holding them at bay for the time being.

The togruta grunted. "I'm almost through!" she shouted, feeling the center of the door melting away. There was a lax in the B1 waves, until another sound she wished to never hear again began.

"Master, destroyers!" Jaina shouted, holding her purple blade in a defensive stance as rolling droidekas stopped to unfold into firing position. Ahsoka had no choice but to pull her blade free and ignite her second, just in time for the droidekas to begin firing with their deflector shields.

"Take cover!" Ahsoka shouted, and they both dove behind nearby lips in the wall at lightning speed. Bolts pounded into their respective cover, and Jaina quickly regretted trying to look back at them. The ferocity of these droids was unlike anything the young Jedi had ever faced.

Then as suddenly as they arrived, their barrage of laser fire was stopped by the sound of a lightsaber cleaving each of them in half. Jaina dared to peak from her cover, and she was greeted to the sight of a blue lightsaber blade, and Mara Jade Skywalker.

"Need a hand?" the red-haired spouse of Luke Skywalker asked, collapsing her lightsaber.

Ahsoka sighed with relief. "Mara, I'm glad to see you," she exited her cover, but looked around as if someone was missing. "Where's Luke?"

A few meters down the hall, a Force wave ripped through a junction, and two B2 units screamed as they crumbled to the floor.

Mara shrugged. "Held up in traffic."

Luke emerged, jogging down the hall with his green blade until he caught up. "Ahsoka, Jaina, good to see you safe," he said. "All these battle droids were making me worry."

"I'd say I was nostalgic," Ahsoka joked. "But they're still trying to kill me."

Mara raised an eyebrow. "So, it's true? They're the same units the Separatists used 50 years ago?"

"Yes," Ahsoka nodded, turning back to the door to the bridge. "But why Corellia has them, I'm not sure." She pulled out one of her hilts and prepared to plunge it into the melted hole she had created but paused.

"What is it?" Jaina asked.

Luke cocked his head. "There's…no one in there."

Mara gulped. "And that means…"

 _Self-destruct sequence initiated. Abandon ship._

Ahsoka sighed as the intercom finished. "It means that."

* * *

Sirens blared as the ship practically begged Jacen and Petra to make way for the escape pods, but they both stayed put, trying to pull as much information from the main computer as they could.

Or at least Jacen was.

"Wrap it up, Solo!" Petra shouted, her sweep through the operations center complete. "Does _self-destruct_ mean anything to you?!"

"This information could mean the difference between a peaceful compromise and a civil war, so I'm willing to cut it a little close," he insisted, waiting for the drive to finish copying the last bits of data.

"That information will be worthless if we're _dead_!" she protested, frantically looking to the droids running for their lives past the room they were in. Jacen didn't budge, committed to extracting as much intel as he could. Something about the CIS made him fearful enough to keep going despite the slightly senior warrior's protests. He couldn't quite place why, but the threat was serious enough for him to risk his life.

Petra disagreed.

"That's it!" she shouted, pulling the drive from the computer. "I'm invoking seniority. We're leaving!"

He wanted to protest, but knew that when her mind was made up, it was best to go along with it. Reluctantly, he followed her out into the hall and sprinted to the escape pods.


	3. Pointing the Finger

**Chapter 2: Pointing the Finger**

 **Solo Apartment, Coruscant**

 **Neutral Zone**

 **30 ABY**

Leia was always orderly but didn't mind a little improvisation. That's probably why she ended up marrying Han Solo, a man known for his quick thinking in tight situations. It had saved them on the Death Star, Hoth, and Endor…and it was hopefully going to save them now.

"3PO!" she called, tying her last braid as she faced the mirror of her bathroom. "I need the spice cake in the oven!"

The sound of the gold protocol droid signified frantic movement. "I'm working as fast as I can, Mistress Leia!" she could also hear him mumble in annoyance, but she let it go. She knew the droid was working as hard as he could, and C-3PO had served their family well over the last three decades.

Her lightsaber hilt glinted in the overhead light as it sat at the edge of the sink, and she silently cursed to herself as she had forgotten to place it back on her nightstand. While they had agreed to hold the yearly Eon-Skywalker-Solo Dinner this year, it was safe to say that the date had snuck up on them. With the signing of the Azure Accords all but a month ago, their lives had been somewhat hectic.

Not like they were ever calm.

Satisfied with how she looked, she quickly exited her bathroom and placed her hilt in the correct place before reentering the kitchen. 3PO was doing exactly as she instructed, just closing the oven as she walked through. Her eyes scanned the area, which the kitchen eventually became the dining and living rooms before becoming the balcony, looking out into the Coruscant skyline. Fortunately, the table was set to perfection for ten, the furniture had been dusted, and everything looked as if it was brand new.

Right on cue, she heard a code being punched into the door for the final piece. Han Solo emerged, breathing somewhat hard as he entered the house. "Mission accomplished, Princess," he said, holding a bundle of assorted exotic flowers in his arm. He handed them to her one by one. "Shili Roses for Tano, Flaming Tulips for Mara, and of course," he majestically handed her the last bundle. "Kiros Poppies for you."

"I love you," she said, pulling him in for a quick kiss. "I was worried they'd be leaving empty handed. You're a life saver."

"I know," he sighed arrogantly, taking off his jacket and hanging it on the nearby hook. "The salesman tried to upcharge me for the tulips, just because they're from one of the Insurgent planets."

Leia placed the poppies into a glass jar filled with water, and their scent had already begun to fill the area around them. "You couldn't just help a local business, could you?"

Han shook his head. "I still paid more than I wanted, but he was trying to swindle me. _Me_ , Han Solo of all people."

There was a knock at the door, and Leia gestured for Han to get it while she prepared the other bundles. "You cut it close, Captain," she joked.

Han quickly ran his fingers through his hair and straightened his clothing before opening the door and was gifted to the sight of his twin children. "Hey!" he greeted with a smile as Jaina quickly embraced him, Jacen waiting behind for his turn.

"Hi Dad," she chuckled with happiness, letting him go so Jacen could do the same. "Good to see you."

"I knew that was you racing down the airway," Jacen joked. "You're still recovering from the flight of stairs."

Han shook his head, offering for them to enter. "Your old man's still got it in him."

Luke, Mara, and their son Ben arrived soon after, followed by Xur, Ahsoka, and Petra. The Solo house was quickly filled with the galaxy's greatest heroes and their families, which, while he wouldn't admit it, made Xur Eon feel uneasy.

The zabrak had developed somewhat of a paranoid demeanor once he had become a father, and everyone together set off alarm bells warning him of a high likelihood of attack. Everyone in the living room was on someone's kill list, and a chance to kill them all at once would be hard for a bounty hunter to resist.

Not like they would be able to succeed.

He stashed away those feelings and did his best to forget about combat and politics for at least one night. Ahsoka had stressed to him that this day every year should be used for him to take a load off, but he found himself failing more often than not. War had been all he had known throughout his life, and peace hadn't quite been able to settle in him.

"Hey," Ahsoka whispered as they all sat around the dinner table. "You haven't said anything. Don't tell me you're thinking about work."

He always forgot he wasn't wearing his mask today as well, so she caught him staring into space on multiple occasions. "I'm always thinking about work," he admitted under the conversation. "I had a few ideas for the _Rectifier_ 's forward-,"

She gave him a dirty look, which was enough to freeze a ranchor in its tracks, and he stopped. "Conversation, right," he conceded.

The look she gave him snapped into a smile. "Thank you."

"…sure it will blow over," he tuned into Luke being the center of attention. "Everyone in the Temple is feeling stressed, but it's nothing they can't handle."

Han laughed. "You were always the optimist. Maybe you could give my daughter a few tips."

Jaina was good at hiding it, but Xur could tell she wasn't prepared to be the center of attention. " _Dad_ ," she complained.

Ahsoka looked towards her own daughter, sitting at the end of the table. "Petra could use a smile every once in a while, as well."

The togruta-zabrak was not amused, and she shared a sympathetic glance with Jaina while ignoring her mother's comment.

"They're fine," Xur insisted. "No harm in staying focused."

There was somewhat of a wave of silence that rolled over the table, everyone reminded of the subtle divide in their respective opinions regarding the handling of the Second Mandalorian War.

As soon as the conflict had begun, Xur rushed off to war, expecting the Jedi to follow suit in defense of the Order. Instead, Luke had decided to keep the Jedi Order out of the war formally, arguing that their devotion to both the Order of Revan and the New Republic made the civil war an internal, political affair. That didn't stop Jedi from following him, namely Ahsoka and Jaina, but Xur hadn't forgotten Luke's decision of inaction. Thus, attacks on Petra and Jaina's way of conducting their lives felt like an attack on Xur as well.

Leia spoke, attempting to change the subject. "How is your training going, Ben?" she asked, looking towards Luke and Mara's red-haired 13-year-old son.

He looked around, not having a response prepared for the sudden question. "Uh…well…Jacen's been teaching me recently," he said, motioning towards the brown-haired man sitting next to his father, Han.

Leia seemed surprised. "I didn't know you had taken him under your wing," she said to Jacen. "That's good."

Jacen nodded. "He's learning fast, but I'm just getting him started."

* * *

The argument started over spice cake; not the cake itself, but once it had been dispersed around the table. Its Corellian origins reminded Han of his own heritage…and the brewing conflict surrounding his home planet.

"Corellia has to defend itself," he argued. "If battle droids are the way to do it, then I'm game."

Ahsoka shook her head but held somewhat of an understanding. "You don't get it. It's the _exact_ models the Separatists used against the Republic, and they're associated with people like Dooku, Grievous, and Sidious; either Sith Lords or mechanical monsters. Seeing them again gives me a bad feeling."

"Besides," Luke jumped in. "Corellia is playing with fire. Open armament in the Galactic Alliance is brinksmanship at its finest, and not matter what, Corellia will lose. Its wasteful to continue to provoke a civil war. Look what happened with Mandalore."

Petra grumbled to herself, picking at her slice of cake. "All because my father was _Revan the Butcher_ reborn," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "What a waste of life." Xur shot her a glance, as well as a Force nudge in agreement. While he wouldn't say that Mandalore the Conqueror was a 'waste of life', he did agree that the conflict itself had been wasteful and pointless.

Han pointed his fork at Luke. "Those nerfherders attacked first. Corellia has always been there providing ships and weapons since the Old Republic. If anything, we deserve a little leeway, and more than what the Accords gave us: meaningless autonomy and a slightly higher force limit."

"They gave Corellia _something_ ," Ahsoka argued. "No planet should be given special treatment, no matter who they are."

"I don't think it's that," Xur shook his head. "The Alliance bringing in old Imperial leaders to assist with rearmament and making Admiral Pellaeon Supreme Commander would make me take a step back. It's almost as if they forgot what we were fighting in the first place."

"Exactly," Han agreed. "I don't want Imperials running my planet. Maintaining our own military is a reasonable safeguard."

"Preparing for war based off something that _might_ happen isn't helpful for _anyone_. The Empire is gone and it's never coming back, not while the Jedi are still around," Luke assured.

Xur shook his head. "Based off the Jedi's commitment to pushing back Mandalore, I'd say that doesn't help anyone sleep much better."

Luke was taken aback by his sudden prod, and Ahsoka gave him a hard look. "The Jedi aren't soldiers, and they're committed to the galaxy, not-,"

"Like _hell_ they aren't," Xur cut her off. "You're the Master General, Jaina's a general, Kyle Katarn's a general. When Master Yoda flew in on that gunship on Geonosis at the dawn of the Clone War, the Jedi were no longer _peacekeepers_ , and they never will be again."

He could tell that she was not happy with him in the slightest, but he wasn't going to let it stop him from telling what he thought was the truth.

Han dove back in. "The Jedi are not the space police, so why should they have any place in Corellian interests? They didn't care when Ord Mantell and Telos were burning, so why should they care about what's happening now?"

"Han," Leia said, pulling at his arm. "You're making Xur fight with his wife, which is impressive, but you should stop."

"No," he denied, his voice rising, and his attention focused on Luke. "I want an answer."

Jaina, across the table, gave her father an insistent look. " _Dad_."

After a moment, Han just plunged his fork into his piece of cake. "You know what…I think I'm done. I'm going to wash dishes."

"Please," Leia thanked.

As Han rose, taking his plate and utensils into the kitchen, shutting the door behind him, Xur pulled his dining cloth from his legs and frustratingly tossed it on the table. "I'm going to get some air," he said, leaving Ahsoka without a look. Once he was out on the balcony and out of earshot, Petra gently grasped Ahsoka's forearm.

"I'll talk to him in a minute," she offered, and the irritated togruta just gave her daughter a nod.

"Is Han alright?" Mara asked Leia.

She nodded. "Everything with Corellia has him on edge, especially with his own cousin serving as Chief of State and threatening all-out war with the Alliance. He's never been a fan of huge interplanetary governments anyway. And since Chewbacca-," Leia paused, and everyone at the table flashed with reminiscence.

Han's wookie companion had joined him when they broke the siege of Ord Mantell against the Mandalorians, but the victory had costed him his life. Chewbacca's heroism had turned the tide of the conflict, and Xur had honored him immensely for his sacrifice, but Han had struggled to cope with it.

Luke looked away with regret. "Since Chewbacca died. Han still holds the Jedi's decision to stay out of the war to blame, doesn't he?"

Leia shook her head. "I think he just trusts his old friend Luke, not so much Grand Master Luke Skywalker of the Jedi Order," her smiled returned. "Not that he can talk too much about Jedi, not with every member of his immediate family _being_ Jedi."

Jacen chuckled. "Here's to irony then, Dad."

* * *

Their meal concluded soon after, and each of them retreated to their own social activities. Han maintained his self-imposed exile to the kitchen, Ben, Mara, Ahsoka, Leia, and Jacen sat together in the living room, Luke was using the bedroom to make a holo-call, and Jaina went out into the large balcony, out of earshot from Petra and Xur, who were trying their best not to raise their voices.

"Congratulations," Petra mocked with her arms crossed, looking directly at her father who kept his eyes on the Coruscant skyline. "You've officially become petty."

Xur gave her a hard look. "Stop."

She shook her head. "I don't think so. You just had a temper tantrum in front of everyone in there, all from something that happened almost a decade ago."

The zabrak had never liked being lectured, especially by someone less than half his age, but his daughter was different. She was far from a child now.

"I just don't want the same thing to happen again," he admitted, looking away again.

Petra sighed. "I don't _disagree_ with you, Dad," she said. "But Skywalker is doing the best he can, and I can vouch for that. He's still finding the Jedi's role in this galaxy, and Mom, while she's got her heart in the right place, I don't think she was ever meant to lead the entire Order."

Xur tried not to snort in disbelief. Ahsoka was his most capable leader when he was at war with the Empire…but that was _military_. In that moment, he realized possibly why she had handed the title of Grand Master to Luke instead of taking it for herself, something he had never been able to piece together.

Petra gave her father a reassuring squeeze of his arm. "And I think you're still having second thoughts about stepping down as Supreme Commander."

It was true after all, he didn't like leaving the Order of Revan in the hands of another, but it was time. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't avoid an interplanetary conflict, so he decided to have the spectre of war follow him to a quieter life, where it would have a lesser impact on the galaxy.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Got me there."

She rubbed his back. "You raised me better than any father could've, so let _me_ worry about it all now."

Xur smiled, nodding. "Alright," and then hugged his daughter, who returned it. "Anything happens, and all bets are off, though."

Petra rolled her eyes as they pulled away. "I think you'd better put out that fire first," she motioned back towards Ahsoka in the living room.

The zabrak grumbled as he looked back, knowing she was right, but still felt reluctant. His commlink ring saved him anyway, and he cleared his throat. "That's work. I'd better take this."

She was somewhat upset at him, but she found it inside her to accept that her father loved what he did too much to let it go. Leaving him to his call, Petra found herself drifting across the balcony to where Jaina was looking out into the night lights of Coruscant. The togruta-zabrak could sense frustration, but also a calm from the sight in front of her.

"Thinking about your Dad?" Petra asked, pulling up alongside her.

Jaina wasn't caught by surprise, likely because she had sensed her childhood friend approaching. She nodded hesitantly. "Among other things. I'm guessing you smoothed things over with your own?"

Petra leaned forward, letting her lekku dangle over the edge of the balcony. "As best I could. My dad's known war his entire life, so it's hard for him to just let it go."

Jaina nodded. Petra's mother had been her Master, so she was aware of Xur's antics, as well as Ahsoka's grievances. She had absolutely nothing against him, in fact the time she had spent fighting alongside Petra's family during the Mandalorian War made them feel like her own.

"He's not unreasonable," Jaina reassured her. " _My_ father, on the other hand, will always be a Corellian smuggler, unable to see the bigger picture around him."

Petra chuckled. "I guess we have that in common. Two fathers stuck in their old ways."

Jaina smiled, giving Petra a friendly smack on the back, making her fumble for the railing before she tumbled over. "We have more than that."

The togruta-zabrak recovered from the sudden action, her breaths showing up in between words. "Like unnecessary acts of violence? Yeah, we do."

In that time, Xur had finished his holo-call, and Petra could sense him approaching. "Jaina, Petra," he said, and they both turned. "Mind if we go for a walk?"

They both shared a glance, and Petra couldn't help but notice her mother flashing an irritated look towards Xur's back. "Tell you what. Talk to Mom first, and we'll go."

Xur gave her a tested stare. "Well, to be honest, I wasn't really _asking_ you," his eyes moved to Jaina, who just crossed her arms.

"Sorry, I'm with her on this one."

Xur tried not to pull his non-existent hair out. "By the Force, fine. I'll pass the mission down the chain then."

Petra was suddenly intrigued. "Wait, what _mission_?"

He didn't say any more, just motioned them towards the door. Jaina admittedly was caught by his sudden offer, but it still didn't feel right for him to avoid Ahsoka even further. Unfortunately, Petra was already pulling her along, allowing her intrigue to win out.

As they passed by the group in the living room, Luke came out from the bedroom just as Xur announced their departure.

"Leia, I need to borrow your _soughter_ ," Luke and Xur's requests happened in unison, and she slightly reeled back from the sudden influx of attention. The two senior warriors just shared awkward glances as they waited for her response.

She shrugged. "Okay."

As Jacen prepared to head out with Luke, Ahsoka gave Xur a questioning stare. "What is it?"

The zabrak avoided her eyes, but was given a prod through the Force from Petra. "Revanite business. I'll tell you later."

"I'll hold you to that," Ahsoka half-warned, but he could sense somewhat of an ease in her emotions through their bond, and he used that to assure that everything was alright…and try to apologize.

It did its job, and she turned away, leaving them alone.

Luke was not as eased. "It doesn't have anything to do with-,"

"No, it doesn't," Xur interrupted. "Maybe I didn't-,"

Petra elbowed him, and he was growing tired of her nudges, but reluctantly granted her just this last one. He sighed, looking towards Jacen, who seemed to be enjoying the sight.

"Want to walk together?"

* * *

Petra hadn't visited Coruscant until she was 13 years old, and as long as she had known it, it hadn't changed. It seemed to be the only place with a Revanite presence that had been unaffected by the Mandalorian War, unlike Ord Mantell and Telos, which had been virtually razed to the ground. She couldn't even imagine the death toll if the war _had_ reached here.

She kept pace with Xur and Luke, who hadn't said a word since they had begun walking from the Solo's apartment. Jacen and Jaina had kept up behind her, feeling much more at ease than she was.

They finally stopped in the middle of a skybridge, which arched through the sky hundreds of feet above the surface level of Coruscant. It reminded her of the stories her mother told her, how she had to navigate the underworld to avoid Republic capture while on the run. Admittedly, she was interested in what could be down there, but she figured it wasn't worth her time anyhow.

"So, do you want to go first?" Luke offered to Xur as they settled in near the railing, away from passerby civilians.

The zabrak shrugged turning to Jaina, Petra, and Jacen. "If you say so," before he began, Petra picked up a hint of discomfort, likely with Luke's presence. "Revanite intelligence finished scrubbing through the data package you pulled out of your little stealth op yesterday. Among its contents they found fleet numbers, promoted commanders, and…most troublingly, my old battle plans for penetrating the core worlds back when we were fighting the Empire."

Luke nodded. "The Galactic Alliance has been leaked these plans by an anonymous 'benefactor', and I think they're trying push the envelope that the Revanites are supporting the CIS."

Xur nodded, confirming that Luke had received identical information from his Alliance contacts. "Of course, we're not, but I think the three of you can put two and two together to realize that this is _bad_. I just put this damn galaxy back together, and I don't intend on letting it tear itself apart again, which means if I have to take the title of Supreme Commander back again, I will."

Luke let out an uneasy sigh. "You can't be se-,"

"And since I'm _joking_ ," Xur stopped him. "that's where you two come in," pointing to Petra and Jaina. "I don't want a political debacle on Coruscant, so we're just going to," he was selective with his next words. " _Entice_ Corellia to stop its independence movement."

Jaina crossed her arms. "I thought you were _for_ Corellian independence?"

Xur shook his head. "Honestly, it matters little to me, but the prospect of intergalactic war makes this _dangerous_."

Jacen nodded in agreement. "I agree. We should take every measure possible to avoid it."

Petra tried not to turn to see if Jacen had been replaced by an imposter, because that was an uncharacteristic response from him. Out of him, Jaina, and Petra, he was the least 'results at all costs'. That honor belonged to Petra herself, which was somewhat expected from an Eon. Jacen served as somewhat of an anchor for her, keeping her actions from spiraling out of control, and if she was _rubbing off_ on him…

She decided to watch him a little closer once this was over.

"Just to be clear," Xur said. "We're _not_ going to fire a shot. Corellia is still an Alliance planet, and any attack can be seen as an act of war during times as precarious as these. That's why I'm sending the best," he turned to Jacen in recognition. " _Available_."

Jacen chuckled. "No offense taken."

Petra placed her hands on her hips. "How are we supposed to _entice_ Corellia to end its independence movement?"

"Grand Admiral Telos will brief you on that," Xur answered, referring to the zabrak Admiral Natia Telos, who was the former protégé of Reyna Vorchenko during the Revanite War against the Empire. As of now, she was the third most powerful leader in the Order of Revan, behind Supreme Commander Vorchenko and Prime Minister Jarrut.

Xur seemed to be finished after that, and he turned to Luke. "Now Skywalker, your turn."

Luke had somewhat of a critique against taking military action in a hotbed such as Corellia, but he knew Xur wouldn't want to hear it, and would be far from changing his mind. Ultimately, it was Jaina and Petra's decision regardless.

"Jacen, I'm sending you to Lorrd," Luke got straight to business. "There have been strange Force-related occurrences reported in the last few days, and I'm sending you to investigate."

"Lorrd?" Jacen asked, puzzled. "That's deep in the Outer Rim, the edges of Revanite space. Why there?"

Luke hesitated for a moment, but figured the information was better for Xur to hear as well. "We have reason to believe Insurgent forces are massing on Ventooine, and Lorrd is their gateway into the heart of Revanite territory. Corellia denies these claims, but I need you to find out the truth. Bring Ben. He could use the training."

Jacen nodded. "Okay. I'll see what I can do."

Something flickered in the back of Petra's mind. It wasn't quite a danger sense, but a warning. Instinctively, she turned to Jacen. "Be careful."

He gave her an odd smile. "I will."

Luke sent a glance to each of them. "May the Force be with you."


	4. Breaking Away

**Chapter 3: Breaking Away**

 **Revanite Interdictor-Class** _ **Inaria**_ **, En Route to Corellia**

 **Hyperspace**

 **30 ABY**

Grand Admiral Natia Telos was wound up tight; her demeanor, speech, and stance were always formal. Her black hair was perfectly wound up and pulled back behind her head into a gold clip, where the ends of her hair hung out like a star below it. The black tattoos that covered her orange-skinned face embodied her commitment to victory and nothing less, as well as honoring the billions of her people that had died when Iridonia was destroyed by the _Death Star_ 30 years ago. The white uniform and gold epaulettes signified that she commanded the fleet that had burned the Empire to the ground. Then, she had been a young Commodore, whose talents had been discovered by the now-Supreme Commander Vorchenko, and thus learned everything from.

Now, she was approaching 50 years of age, and held in her hands the power to prevent the next galactic war. As a personal favor from an old friend, this plan _had_ to succeed, or more planets may see the same fate as hers did.

The Fifth Fleet would pacify Corellia, even if it killed her.

* * *

 **Eon Apartment, Coruscant**

 **Neutral Zone**

 **30 ABY**

Xur tried not to worry about Petra when he sent her on mission. He knew what she was capable of after all, with her many victories that she had earned, but it still didn't make him feel any better. Once she was born, he began to discover one of the reasons the Jedi had forbidden attachment, as he found himself spending more time worrying about the safety of his daughter. She was an adult now, 27 years old, but she would always be his baby girl to him.

He turned in the bed once again, woken by a seemingly once-a-month vision of imbalance in the galaxy. No matter how much he wanted a normal life of a father, the Force still called on him to be Revan Reborn every chance it had. Over the years, he had learned to cope with it, and was beginning to finally shut them out for good, but something about the one he experienced tonight kept him awake.

It was Vader, and behind him stood and old cloaked foe he had faced before but was not given a face. At first, he figured it was just a nightmare, but it had felt so _real_. The old aura he had felt around Vader before was there…the unrelenting _cold_ , but more potent…more sinister. Paths to power lined with good intentions, only leading to _sacrifice_.

The same feeling he felt after Order 66 was enacted came again, and the silhouette of a dead loved one lay at his feet, without a face.

Ahsoka was sound asleep, unmoving, and he did his best not to wake her when he rose from his bed and pulled a comfortable robe over his body. Exiting the bedroom, he settled into his favorite recliner, pulling out his holo-pad to rummage through the troop arrangements that Vorchenko had sent to him for review.

Even in retirement, he found it impossible to step away from work. He promised himself and Ahsoka that this coming operation would be the last one he was a part of, but he knew better than that. As long as his daughter was on the front lines, he would want to be out there making sure that she got home safely.

Vorchenko hadn't sent him much, just the assignments for Twin Suns Squadron, the one Petra and Jaina would command. There were 7 pilots, and she had given him notes detailing her confidence in their abilities, but the third-in-command note gave him pause.

 _Lieutenant Commander Jagged Fel, raised in the Chiss Ascendancy and has ties to Pentastar Alignment, or now the Imperial Remnant. Flew for Revanites during the Siege of Ord Mantell but wanted your approval before granting him._

Fel was a house in Chiss society that Thrawn had mentioned before he was assassinated seven years ago by an Imperial nationalist after the Second Mandalorian War ended. While the chiss admiral had been an enemy in his war against the Empire, he couldn't have been more vital with his masterful strategy for halting the Mandalorians at Ord Mantell. The chiss had died a friend as far as Xur was concerned.

He remembered the name, but under the shorter alias of "Jag" as his daughter had described him, and as he called back further into his memory, he smiled. Jagged Fel was one of the most gifted pilots in the Revanite Navy, serving the Order well during the Mandalorian War. With confidence, he granted his placement on Twin Suns Squadron.

The distraction had failed to take the vision from his head, much to his displeasure. His mind's focus on it was singular, which meant that there was no escaping it. Sitting back, he reached out with his senses, sending feelers across the galaxy. He had learned the technique on Rakata Prime during the interwar years, but the scale severely limited his ability to comprehend much of anything. All he received back were disturbances, and only from places he was aware of.

He got a hit after a few minutes. A large, event-altering disturbance was situated around the northern border of Revanite space, but its depth didn't give him a planet or even a system. The strain was mounting, so he relinquished the link, wiping a few drops of sweat from his forehead. When he opened his eyes, Ahsoka was sitting across from him.

"Why didn't you invite me to stay up late?" she asked, covered with her own robe and nursing a hot drink in her hands.

He groaned, realizing that the technique he was using had likely gone on longer than he perceived. "I didn't plan on it."

She was prying into him through their bond, and he did his best to gracefully keep her out. "Tano just…," he sighed. "Just let me tell you, alright?"

The togruta conceded, giving him a trusting look. "Alright."

The zabrak looked away, wondering how he should phrase it. "I saw Vader tonight," he could feel her interest peak. "Not tangibly, but in a vision. There was someone at his side…someone we've fought before."  
Ahsoka mentally ran through the list of enemies they had faced when they fought the Empire. While it was long, there weren't very many important names, making it easy to narrow it down. "But everyone we fought is either dead or decided to join us."

"I know," Xur nodded. "That's what confuses me."

She shifted uneasily. "You think…it could be a traitor?"

Xur had experienced betrayal far too many times to rule it out, and with how galactic events were unfolding, it was the likely deduction. "Many paths to power laced with good intentions, only leading to sacrifice," he remembered. "Then there was someone dead at my feet…someone close to me."

Ahsoka was almost afraid to ask. "Petra…or me?"

He shook his head. "I don't know, but I have to figure this out."

She looked away, because she knew exactly what that meant. "You're leaving again."

"Yes."

It wasn't the first time. When Petra was merely an infant, he would travel the galaxy chasing visions in the Force, ensuring that the Sith did not rise again. He only had told her vague details of his expeditions, and she'd be lying if she said they didn't worry her.

"You know how I feel about this," she reminded him, not letting the dismay show on her face, but she knew their bond would give it away anyway. "You're not as young as you used to be, and I don't like you going alone."

He rose to his feet, and gestured for her to do the same, but she didn't comply. "I _can't_ just let this go, Ahsoka, no matter how much I-," he paused, rethinking his words. "I have a responsibility, whether we like it or not."

She silently cursed to herself for being selfish again and placed her drink atop the small table next to her before rising to meet him. The joined their hands together, uncovered by gloves or armor, something they had never experienced until the Empire had fallen. Now, they both felt as if that luxury would be taken away once again.

"Something is happening…don't you feel it?" he asked.

Ahsoka nodded, remembering the battle droids over Naboo. "It's bigger than we realize."

He squeezed her shoulder, before kissing her on the forehead. "I'm sorry Princess, but you know you'll never be alone, no matter how far apart we are."

She couldn't stop herself from smiling. "I know."

* * *

 **Lorrd Spaceport, Lorrd**

 **Order of Revan**

 **30 ABY**

"Are we there yet?"

Jacen mentally counted three, as that had been the third time Ben Skywalker had asked him that question as he sat at the controls of their small shuttle. The first two times, the Jedi knight had simply ignored him, but now he felt obliged to give him an answer.

"Yes," he confirmed, and his claim was proven by the sound of the landing gear settling into place as the ship finally landed. Relief emanated from young teenaged boy, and Jacen could sense his eagerness to get moving, as well as a hint of confusion.

"Are you going to tell me why we're out here now?" Ben asked, and Jacen shrugged as he activated the anti-theft countermeasures and secured his lightsaber onto his belt.

"Why don't you tell me?" he countered, rising to his feet, and used the reflection off the viewport to make sure his hair was set in right.

Ben looked dumbfounded. "You want me to read your mind?"

"No, I want you to help me track the disturbance," Jacen corrected.

The young boy grimaced, seeing his error. "Right. On it." Jacen had no intention of helping him, since he already knew where he was going, but he figured Ben needed the practice anyhow.

While the young Padawan reached out through the Force, Jacen lowered the loading ramp and descended into the hangar, his eyes scanning the area for an expected meeting. Sure enough, his eyes locked onto a young adult human female Jedi knight, her black hair pulled into a ponytail swinging behind her as she approached.

She gave him a bright smile in greeting. "Jacen!" she said, holding out her hand. "It's good to see you again."

He shook it. "Nelani. When I heard you were stationed on Lorrd, I was glad to hear that you had passed the trials and achieved knighthood. Congratulations."

She tipped her head, releasing the grip on his hand. "Thank you," she then looked past him, seemingly expecting to find someone else with him, and then flashed a look of disappointment. "Petra's not with you?"

Jacen suppressed a groan. While Petra was probably his best friend, as he had practically grown up with her, hearing her name from everyone was beginning to get under his skin as he approached his 26th year of age. A small part of him loathed being stuck under the shadow of the Eon surname, reminding him that it was they who had been the face of the force that destroyed the Empire, not the house of Skywalker. Thus, it was common for Jedi to ask him about Petra, since everyone knew how close they were.

He shook his head, and then heard Ben's footsteps behind him. "No, but Ben Skywalker is with me."

Nelani gave the teenager a curious look. "Ah. Nice to meet you then, Ben."

Ben nodded and looked back up to Jacen. "I did it. I found the disturbance."

"Alright," Jacen acknowledged. "Where?"

Ben's eyes flashed to Nelani and back to Jacen, his face adopting a look of slight worry. "Well…it's here…on the station."

"Good," Jacen praised, looking back to Nelani. "Luke sent me to investigate the disturbances, but I'd like to know why they've been quelled suddenly. Your handiwork?"

Nelani shook her head. "As much as I'd like to take credit, it wouldn't be true. We had multiple terrorist incidents over the past week, but just last night a woman claimed responsibility and turned herself in without a fight. We're holding her on this station. Her name is Brisha Syo."

Jacen rubbed his chin. "Interesting. I'd like to see her, if you don't mind."

"Those are my instructions, yes," Nelani confirmed. "Just follow me."

* * *

 **Revanite Interdictor-Class** _ **Inaria**_ **, Corellian Orbit**

 **CIS, Galactic Alliance**

 **30 ABY**

Jagged Fel was a soldier to the core. Ever since he had earned the scar that ran from the top of his head to his right eyebrow, he knew there would be no escape from the life of service. So, he had learned to live with that inevitability, and now it was just what he expected: day by day problems that he would be forced to solve with either his wits or a blaster bolt.

Neither of those would help him now.

No matter what, you don't say no to Commander Vorchenko. Maybe Xur Eon would, but Jag had a living and career to maintain, so when she asked him to join Twin Suns Squadron, he signed on without hesitation.

Then he saw Jaina Solo in her black flight suit, her black and gold helmet under her arm as she tended to her XJ6 X-wing. His heart leapt, but his mind scowled with distain as soon as it was reminded of the last time he had seen her.

To say their relationship was complicated would be putting it mildly. The Mandalorian War had brought them close, so close to the point that they had shared a passionate moment after the siege had been lifted on Ord Mantell. He had never loved anyone as much as he loved her then, so when she declared their relationship "counter-productive to her life as a Jedi" only a few years back, he found it difficult not to take it personal.

In that moment, he decided that acting professional was the only thing that was going to get him through this assignment.

He walked past her, spotting his own XJ6 right beside hers, which he could only grimace at the predictability of that fact.

"No, that's not right," he could hear her talking to herself, setting her helmet down on the hangar bay floor as she moved to get a closer look at her fighter's underbelly. "Sneaker, see if you can boost the power."

The mere sound of her voice stirred emotions long hidden, and it took a stint of anger to force them down again. Unfortunately, that anger resulted in him roughly setting his fighter helmet onto the floor as he began his pre-flight checks.

He heard her pause. "Oh! You must be Red Three. I'm-," she paused again, and he knew she could sense him anyway. "Jag?"

When he didn't say anything, and just kept his eyes on his work, she came up alongside him, trying to come into his vision. "I didn't…were you just going to come in without saying hello?" she asked.

His inspection of internal systems completed, he shut the cover and bent over to collect his helmet. "Yes," he said. "That was the plan."

He still refused to look at her, and she sighed awkwardly. "Jag…look, I-,"

"I don't want to hear it," he cut her off. "We have a mission to complete, so let's just focus on that."

" _No_ ," she denied. "We're not just going to _let this go_ ," in that moment he had forgotten how fiery she was. "If we're going to work together, then I need whatever is between us out of the way."

Jag did his best not to grit his teeth, and finally met her eyes with his own. Her look was mixed with confusion and dismay. "Oh no, you don't get off that easy. You don't just get to ignore what you said, _Jaina_. That's not how this works."

"When did I ever say I didn't regret what happened?!" she protested.

"Listen," he stopped her. "I'll kill for you and protect you with my life, but because you're my commanding officer, and nothing more."

When she realized that was all she was getting from him, she nodded. "Fair enough."

He nodded, feeling somewhat relieved. "Now, General, if you don't mind, I have to complete my pre-flight inspection."

As he turned his attention completely away from her, Jaina returned to her XJ6. "Carry on, Lieutenant Commander."

* * *

 **Lorrd Spaceport, Lorrd**

 **Order of Revan**

 **30 ABY**

" _That's_ our suspect?" Ben half-shouted in disbelief once he, Jacen, and Nelani could see into the interrogation room. "She looks more like a fashion model."

"Let's try to stay focused," Jacen insisted. To be fair, he thought Ben had a point. The woman sitting at the table with her wrists bound together wore a purple jumpsuit, and looked approachably attractive, her face practically begging him to come near. Her eyes faced forward, and her face expressionless.

Nelani opened the door, and Jacen filed in first. Brisha looked his way, and he instantly felt a pulse in the Force. "Hello, Jedi Solo, Jedi Dinn, young Skywalker," she greeted.

"You know us?" Jacen asked, his arms crossed.

"Of course. _I'm_ what you're looking for," she revealed, and Jacen already deducted this woman was Force-sensitive, feeling her prodding into him at almost every level.

Jacen tried not to laugh. " _You_? You're the source of the disturbance?"

"I am," she repeated.

He maintained a looked of skepticism, leaning towards Nelani. " _This ought to be good_."

Brisha suddenly looked agitated. "How rude. You must've inherited your manners from your father. Obviously, your mother never taught you how to be a gentleman, she's smarter than that."

That got Jacen's attention. "You know her?"

"We've met, along with other members of your… _extended_ family."

The first people that came to mind were Luke and Mara, but the way the woman had said it suggested people not directly connected. "Like who?"

She looked directly into his eyes, her own burning with passion. "Xur Eon."

Ben scoffed. "Everyone _says_ they know Master Eon."

"Ah but no one truly _knows_ him now do they?" Brisha continued, her focus still on Jacen. "Don't you ever wonder why he disappears for months at a time?"

Jacen did, but he wouldn't admit that to her, not with the number of unknowns. "How could you possibly generate a disturbance so vast in the Force?"

"It's quite easy, really," Brisha said. "You could probably do it in your sleep, and I knew it would bring you before me."

"Is that right?" he asked. "Anyone could've followed this trail. What made you so sure _I_ would come?"

"It is the will of the Force, Jacen Solo," she answered. "There is much you could learn from me…much Master Eon has kept from you."

He paused. This woman was making some _bold_ claims, but he sensed singular confidence within her. He could almost feel the truth in her words. "If that's true then I want to hear your story."

"Very well," she accepted. "But not here. At my home, a planetoid near Bimmiel."

Jacen was curious, but not _that_ curious. "No, thanks. I'd prefer we remain here."

"Then that's all you will get out of me," she declared.

He could feel another pulse in the Force, this one much stronger than before. His mind wandered for a moment, and he could feel the disturbance latch onto his essence. No… _he_ was the disturbance, and this woman was the key to discovering why.

The Force had decreed it. He was sure of _that_.

He turned to Nelani. "Let's talk outside."

She didn't protest, and once they exited the room and closed the door, Jacen began to nod. "I'm going to head to her home."

"Not alone, you're not," she said.

Jacen grimaced, another prod in the Force. They were beginning to get on his nerves. "I don't think that's a good idea. Bimmiel isn't even in your jurisdiction."

"It's definitely a trap," Ben noted. "Has to be."

"To do what?" Jacen asked.

Ben seemed surprised, as if the answer was obvious. "Uh…to kill you?"

He wasn't wrong, and Jacen knew it, but that didn't feel like a good enough reason to deny what he was feeling. "I think she could've killed me any time she wanted."

"I think you're going off what you feel instead of using common sense," Nelani shot back unhappily. "Ben's right."

Jacen felt frustration creep up his throat. "I didn't ask either of you to come with me. I'm going."

Nelani knew there was no chance at changing his mind. "When are we leaving, then?"

"Now," Jacen made clear. "But know I still think you coming is a bad idea."

"Noted."

* * *

 **Corellian Orbit**

 **CIS, Galactic Alliance**

 **30 ABY**

Jaina had always loved flying. Since her early teenage years, it had served as a place for her to leave the stresses of the galaxy behind. Here, it was just her wits and space in front of her, far from the drama of being the Sword of the Jedi.

The title had been bestowed upon her at the conclusion of the Mandalorian War, since she had been the first Jedi to join Xur Eon and the Revanites in their struggle to end the crippling civil war. Luke had been the one to do so, but over the years she realized that it was only a way for him to admit to Xur that he had been wrong for holding the Jedi Order out of the war. While her uncle had insisted that she had earned it nonetheless, a dark cloud of doubt hung over her head, and a chance at a fight was a chance to prove to herself that she was worthy.

It was going to be difficult with the drama flying alongside her.

She shook her head in frustration, readjusting her black and yellow flight helmet. The last thing she needed was to think about Jag.

Focused on the task at hand, she activated the squadron frequency once all wings had launched from the _Inaria_ , the planet of Corellia before them. "All wings, this is Red Leader, report in."

"Red Two, standing by," Petra replied, flying a SF3 Advanced fighter, which was the best refurbished product of the Star Forge to date, reserved to only herself and her father.

"Red Three, standing by," Jag followed with a professional tone.

"Red Four, standing by,"

"Red Six, standing by,"

Five was never used unless Luke was behind the yoke, Jaina recalled.

"Red Seven, standing by."

With everyone clocked in, Jaina pushed forward on the throttle to get some distance from the _Inaria_ , looking out ahead. The space around Corellia was clear, which meant the flight to the surface was going to be easier than Grand Admiral Telos had indicated.

She tapped back into the frequency. "All wings, prepare for descent as ordered. It seems the intel on our welcoming party is negative."

"Odd," Petra chimed in, her fighter cruising alongside Jaina's. "Dad's never wrong when it comes to enemy unit strength."

As Jaina prepped her fighter for atmospheric entry, Jag's voice came through the channel. "Red leader, I have contacts coming out of hyperspace."

"Hostile or friendly?" she asked.

"Not sure. Whoever they are, there's a lot of them."

Jaina ran the scenarios through her head. It's possible the Alliance was sending in reinforcements that Telos had either kept to herself or didn't know about. It was also possible that the CIS was launching the warships she had infiltrated over Naboo.

Neither of those options screamed particularly friendly, not with the tension mounting between the Order of Revan and the Galactic Alliance.

"Twin Suns Squadron, pull off from Corellian entry and prepare weapons systems. I don't want-,"

Before she could finish, a Providence-Class capital ship erupted from hyperspace in between her squadron and Corellia, followed by multiple Insurgent frigates. Her eyes shot wide open, and her vision was nearly blinded by the sudden hail of red-colored turbolaser beams.


	5. False Prophets

**Chapter 4: False Prophets**

 **Revanite Interdictor-Class** _ **Inaria**_ **, Corellian Orbit**

 **CIS, Galactic Alliance**

 **30 ABY**

"Twin Suns Squadron is lost, Admiral!" the deck officer shouted as the bridge shook from another direct hit by an enemy turbolaser. Grand Admiral Telos maintained her balance as she grabbed ahold of the helm console, the starboard viewport showing the enemy fleet firing on them. The enemy fleet had only arrived two minutes ago, and the rationed Revanite Fleet was not prepared to return fire even in the slightest.

And Twin Suns was Petra Eon's squadron. If she returned to Coruscant with news that Xur Eon's daughter was dead…

"Casualties?!" she shouted, regaining her composure. "And I want every bloody starfighter out of the launch bays!" she multitasked.

The deck officer squinted his eyes until the report came through. "General Solo reports three dead, General Eon not one of them!" he said as if he knew that was the answer she needed.

"Acceptable," she said, then paced the command walkway. "Return fire, dammit!"

She wasn't going to let an outdated Clone-Wars Era _Separatist_ capital ship beat her. The Supreme Commander would never let her forget it.

No one would.

* * *

 **Coronet City, Corellia**

 **CIS, Galactic Alliance**

 **30 ABY**

" _Ugh_ , this is a damned mess!" Petra shouted in frustration, pulling the last slab of duracrete from atop Jag's cockpit. His XJ6 barely still looked like one, as the impact into the city streets had torn it to shreds. Jaina struggled behind her, finally getting her flight vest off her chest while Petra pulled the cockpit open.

"Thanks," Jag grunted as Petra helped him out, and she simply nodded. As soon as his feet hit the road, he pulled off his vest and hunched forward, letting out a few breaths. "Someone want to tell me…where the hell…that fleet came from?"

Jaina looked up into the blue Corellian sky, seeing the Providence-Class capital ship and its multiple frigates firing on the recovering Revanite fleet, still yet to return fire. "I don't know," she said, tapping into her wrist-comm. " _Inaria_ , this is General Jaina Solo. Twin Su-," she was interrupted by the connection fizzing out until it died. She cursed through grit teeth. "They've jammed our comms."

"Great," Petra huffed, throwing her hands into the air. "Now we're stuck down here while the battle is happening up _there_."

Jag's adrenaline had finally run its course, and an almost unbearable pain followed, making him stagger. He shouted in pain, his hand shooting to his ribs, and Jaina barely caught him before he fell.

"Ribs," he wheezed. "I think I broke a few."

Jaina eased him to the street. "Alright, just sit down," she said, helping him lean his back on a nearby pile of duracrete. "He needs an injection of bacta," she turned to Petra.

Petra shook her head. "We don't have any. They were all destroyed in the crash."

The brown-haired Solo gave her a tested stare. " _We_ don't. What about what's in that utility belt of yours?"

Petra looked down and then vigorously shook her head. "Wha- no! Those are specifically designed for me!"

Jag wheezed again, and it was obvious that each breath was painful. "Jaina…I'll be alright."

"Like hell you will!" Jaina denied, and then returned her attention to Petra. " _Seriously_?!"

Petra grit her teeth, but reluctantly opened the side pouch on her belt and revealed a small tube filled with blue-green liquid. Taking a knee next to Jag, she pushed the mechanism in the back that turned the front end into a small needle.

"Hold still, lover-boy," she warned.

"Would you not ca- Ah!" he protested before she injected the bacta into his neck. Jaina glared at her for the familiar nickname she had given him, but her attention was squarely back on Jag as he screamed after Petra pulled the needle from his neck.

Jag felt his heart almost leap out of his chest once the bacta was administered, and only after a few seconds did the sensation subside. On his hands and knees, he tried to slow his breathing. "What…did you…just give me?" he asked.

"Bacta," Petra shrugged. "Unrefined though…and tailored to wookies."

Jaina gave her a look but found it difficult to be surprised. "You use unrefined wookie bacta?"

"Uh-huh," Petra nodded, crossing her arms. "Still feel your ribs, lover-boy?"

Jag finally got control of his breath, and slowly began to rise. "I can't feel _anything_. And please _stop_ calling me that."

"Fine, spoil sport," she said. "That'll wear off in 4 hours. Until then you'll be pretty much invincible."

Jag shook his head, running his fingers over his short hair as he tried straightening his back. Petra was right, no pain whatsoever, and he felt as if he could take on an army. "Thanks," he said.

Jaina's attention was pulled to the end of the street, where the sound of marching battle droids sounded. Sure enough, a battalion of B1 battle droids were moving in to investigate their crash.

"Time to make ourselves scarce," she said.

* * *

 **Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

 **Neutral Zone**

 **30 ABY**

Only recently had the Jedi Temple been fully restored to the former glory it held before the rise of the Empire. As Xur's eyes paced through the majestic pillars, he felt his mind wander back to his younger years, where he and Mace Windu had paced these halls before. It was the only home he had after his mother died, killed by his father, and no place had ever been able to live up to it.

He did his best to suppress the nostalgia, not having Revan's mask to cover the look on his face as he felt it. Various Padawans passed by, tipping their heads in respect, while he also spotted knights guiding small groups of younglings. It was harder than he imagined to not return here, but he knew his place. He was no longer a Jedi.

That didn't mean he wasn't welcome.

After a few minutes of strolling, he found the main training room, which was emptier than usual; only a few masters with their apprentices, and the lone person he was looking for.

Mara Jade let her blue lightsaber dance around her, the same that Anakin Skywalker had carried almost 50 years ago. The training droids tried their hardest to break her defenses, but every bolt they fired bounced harmlessly away. After watching for a few seconds, the droids ended their program, shutting down and hovering stationary.

She took a deep breath before deactivating her lightsaber. "You know you still owe me a rematch from Horizon?" she mentioned, her back turned to him as she rolled out the knots in her neck.

Xur forgot how quick she was to business. "I was going to ask for a chat, actually."

She chuckled. "A chat?" she asked, and finally turned to him, her form-fitting black robe ruffled from her exercise. "Can't talk and dance at the same time?"

The zabrak scoffed. "You're biting off more than you can chew, Jade," he said, but pulled one of his hilts from the back of his belt. "But if you insist."

Mara ignited her blade and held it in front with both hands. Xur followed suit, the purple unstable beam sending sparks of energy all around it. Without any formal bow, she swung vertically, and Xur caught it with ease, utilizing Form II defense tactics to ward off her strikes. After a few exchanges, they fell into a saber lock.

"Don't be so formal, Eon," she joked. "We're all just combatants here."

They pushed off, and she engaged again, throwing in Form IV acrobatics while Xur maintained a one-handed defense. "Is that why you come here? To bring yourself down a notch?"

Form II was too slow for Ataru, and Mara landed a kick to his hip that felt laced with frustration. He grunted, stepping back in a hasty retreat before she could land a winning swing.

She maintained focus, shaking her head. "I usually come here when Ben is gone. Helps me stop worrying about him."

Xur switched his stance, preparing to switch to Form VI as Mara charged again, but sidestepped away as she ran past him. "I know what you mean," he said, and then went on the attack, using raw strength in an attempt to throw Mara off balance. "But you've got to make sure you're looking out for yourself as well."

Her saber deflected each attack, but she was forced to retreat before Xur could overpower her. "That sounds like something Vader would tell me."

"Maybe," Xur admitted. "But if you spend all your time worrying about someone else, you'll forget your own responsibilities."

They fell into another round of exchanges, this time without either of them overpowering the other. Mara was using her frustration and worry for Ben to fuel her attacks, and Xur's Form VI was no longer too much for her.

"I'd say protecting my son falls under responsibilities," she grunted, adding more power to her swings. Spinning, she dodged one of Xur's attacks and hit a killing mark at his neck. "As well as winning our rematch," she added a cocky smile.

Xur nodded in concession, deactivating his blade. "You were always a better parent than I was."

Mara's lightsaber collapsed, and she paced away, controlling her breathing. "I wish that were true," she said, still feeling some self-doubt residing from her time as the Emperor's Hand. For all the people she had killed, she never thought she'd be a good enough mother for her son; someone he could look up to…until she met Luke. Then she realized that the past didn't matter. How she approached the present would dictate how her son would grow.

Returning her hilt to her belt, she turned back to Xur. "You said you wanted to talk?"

The zabrak nodded, his real reason for coming returning to him. "I had a vision the other night. It was Vader, flanked by someone I'd fought before, and someone I cared for dead at my feet."

Mara was good at hiding it, but Xur sensed her displeasure. "Everyone you've fought before is a lengthy list, but I'd say most of them are either dead or on your side now," she stopped before she added _like me_.

"Yes, that's what Ahsoka said too," he noted. "Which means we might be dealing with a traitor."

Mara gulped. "You don't think-,"

"No," Xur interrupted with a raised hand. "Your betrayal doesn't make any logical or unpredictable sense, not with Ben around, and our duel only strengthened that fact."

She thought he might be closing the door too quickly, but she wasn't complaining either. "Is that what this was about?"

Xur shook his head once again. "No. I need to know about the other Hand on Horizon. Lumiya. The archives of the Empire aren't exactly _enlightening_."

Mara didn't have a doubt in her mind. "She's dead."

"You're sure?" Xur asked. "She escaped Horizon."

"Absolutely. Luke killed her himself."

Xur paused, almost as if he didn't believe her. She did her best to pry into his mind, but only found a long and daunting maze, filled with twists and turns she could lose herself in.

Suddenly, she was feeling suspicious of _him_.

He finally nodded. "Tell Luke I said hello," and then left the training room, leaving Mara to ponder what he was up to. She had never been able to understand his motives, or why he did the things he did, but she elected not to think on it too deeply.

She had a son to worry about, after all.

* * *

 **Coronet City, Corellia**

 **CIS, Galactic Alliance**

 **30 ABY**

"That's a _lot_ of droids," Jaina said as she, Jag, and Petra looked down from a temporary camp they had made in an abandoned Corellian warehouse. B1 battle droids marched the streets of Corellia, their metallic feet projecting through Coronet with each collective step they took. "It reminds me of those stories Master Tano used to tell me; when the Separatists would occupy planets."

Jag was still feeling the effects of Petra's wookie-bacta, but he far preferred elevated heartrate and fast breathing to broken ribs. "Effective in numbers, but not so much individually…if at all. We snuck around Coronet with relative ease."

Jaina chuckled. "Having trouble catching your breath?" she joked, noting his struggles.

He didn't laugh, let alone look her way. "I'm fine," he said, and then turned away from the window. Jaina looked to Petra for some kind of support, but the togruta-zabrak just gave her a _this-is-your-fault_ look.

Petra knew Jagged Fel well, as they had fought together in the Mandalorian War. She wouldn't necessarily say they were close friends, but they definitely didn't have much negative to say about each other. Aside from the fact that Jag thought she could be borderline insane, and the constant teasing over his relationship with Jaina, they got along well.

She also had been very upset with Jaina after her decision to part with him in the manner that she had, and still today she held it over her head.

"We need to find a way out of here," Petra said as Jag took a seat on a somewhat rusty table. "All this sneaking around is making me crazy."

"Then there's no time to waste," Jag said, half-joking. "Our options are to wait out the battle and hope the Revanites win, or we make a dash for the spaceport, where we could steal a ship and rendezvous with the fleet."

Petra shook her head. "We can't just turn tail and run. We have a mission to complete."

Jaina crossed her arms, pacing until she could lean against a metal support beam. "And how do you suggest we do that? We don't exactly have the _means_ to accomplish our objective."

"Sure we do, Solo," Petra replied, reminding Jag that she rarely ever called anyone by their first name unless she was upset with them. "We just tip-toe over to the capital building, I grab Thr-, Tha-, whatever his name is, and once the Revanite fleet wins, we negotiate surrender. Easy."

Jaina tried to hold back a look that questioned Petra's intelligence. "Even if we could get to Thrackan Sal-Solo," the Chief of State of Corellia, and Han Solo's cousin, "We don't have the strength to hold out _if_ the Fifth Fleet wins, which by no means is a guarantee."

Petra had already realized how bad her plan was, but she was too stubborn to admit it. "So, we improvise. Play a little hide-n-seek around Coronet with him."

Now Jaina truly did question her intelligence. "Do you even realize what you're saying?"

Petra surrendered, knowing full well she was just pushing on out of spite. "Fine…we do it your-," her senses suddenly piqued.

 _Double vision - a vision of the present overlaid with a glimpse of the future – bolts at head, head, head._

Her violet blade ignited, deflecting all three laser bolts that punched through the glass before they went through her brain and ended her life. The tempered glass fractured but didn't shatter, making it difficult to see where the shot came from. Jaina had her hilt in hand instinctually, jumping behind the edge of the window to stay out of sight, while Jag pulled a holdout blaster and did the same. Petra had both hands on her ignited blade, waiting for the next shot to come.

Jag's eyes darted around. "Where did that come fr-,"

"Quiet!" Petra shouted, her eyes closed as she reached out with the Force. The sounds around her dulled, and those outside magnified. She heard a jetpack flare to life, coming closer…closer.

 _Double vision: bolts at chest, torso, head._

Her second lightsaber ignited, and she twirled around to dodge the first bolt while catching the other two with each blade. The glass gave way, and her eyes fixed on the armored assailant, their jetpack suddenly increasing power to get away. With an outstretched hand, she grabbed ahold of the attacker and used her second to fire an arc of lightning, which shut down the jetpack just long enough for her to pull them into the building.

The attacker slammed into the table where Jag had sat, and before they could scramble away, Petra kicked them over and planted her foot squarely on their neck.

" _Mandalorian_ ," she snarled, holding her lightsaber in his vision. Their armor was a dirty orange, compiled with the basic gadgets that their people were known for. "Who are you?!" she shouted.

The Mandalorian struggled beneath her foot. " _Ni narir va jorhaa'ir at Gijlasr be Cejilyr!_ " they shouted in protest with the voice of a male.

Petra frustratingly chuckled, noticing Mando'a, which she had learned from her father and perfected during the Mandalorian War. "Spawn of the Butcher? Ha! _Miak Ni malyasa'yr kyr'amur gar nii_ ," she replied, raising her lightsaber for the killing blow.

Jag walked up beside her, holding his weapon, and then his eyes suddenly widened with recognition. "W-wait!" he shouted, grabbing Petra's wrist before she could kill him. "Stop!"

The Mandalorian stopped struggling as his helmet angled towards Jag. "Jagged Fel…heh, it's been awhile," he spoke in Basic with a somewhat hard accent. "I was wondering what happened to you."

Petra moved her gaze to Jag. "You know him?!"

Jag nodded. "I do. His name is Xiso Ordo. He fed intel to my unit during the war. What I don't understand is why he just tried to kill _Petra Eon_ ," he half-scolded, looking back down at Xiso.

"Listen Jag," he began, but grunted with Petra's boot still on his neck. "It's a long story that I could better tell without this woman's foot trying to crush my windpipe."

Before Jag could say anything, Petra shook her head. "Not a chance. The day I trust a Mandalorian is the day bantha fodder is a perfume."

Someone pulled on her opposite shoulder and she saw Jaina give her an insistent glance. "Petra, please."

She hesitated, feeling her absolute distrust for this man's people come back to her again. She couldn't even count how many friends she had lost over the course of the war, and she vowed to never trust one of their kind again. All she wanted to do was plunge her lightsaber into his chest, but that was cold-blooded murder.

Not even her father taught her that.

She deactivated her sabers. "Fine, but he gets the stun cuffs."

* * *

 **Star System MZX32905, Near Bimmiel**

 **Order of Revan**

 **30 ABY**

The planetoid that Brisha called home was a habitat carved into a large asteroid, its atmospheric pressure dropping as the turbolift descended deeper into its core. Jacen kept his senses active as darkness clouded his vision, trying to get an accurate read on his mysterious companion, only to come up empty after each attempt. Brisha was stronger in the Force than most of the beings he had encountered, but he also sensed a dark taint…one that reminded him of the signatures Petra emitted from time to time, her immunity to corruption allowing her dive into techniques of the dark side.

He felt Ben and Nelani standing behind him, still with the wish that they had stayed behind, but there was little he could do about that now.

That was until a pulse in the Force rippled around, and both Ben and Nelani were gone without a trace, just as the turbolift reached the bottom, and light returned.

"Why did you do that?" Jacen half-growled as Brisha stepped off the platform.

"Do what?" she asked, her eyes meeting his, and he could feel them boring into his essence.

"Throw Ben and Nelani from the lift," he reiterated, controlling his anger before he lashed out without all the facts. "I could feel your pulse in the Force."

"I thought you would," she said, walking down the rock tunnel before them, and Jacen could only follow. "It was for their own good. What's here to see is for your eyes alone."

"I'll hold you to that," he said, and then settled in, his curiosity winning out again. Once they cleared the tunnel, they came into a large stone chamber, where a majestic mansion stood at the end. It was five stories in height, its windows un-shuttered, inviting.

And reeked of dark side energy.

"This…is insane," he finally said. "I've had enough. Either you tell me who you are, or I kill you and head back to Coruscant without a backwards look."

Brisha chuckled. "Liar."

"Excuse me?" he warned, and then felt an urge to cut her in two, but suppressed it, realizing that his aggression was being amplified by the energies surrounding him.

She was suddenly agitated. "Don't talk like an Eon. You're not. Even if you'd like to be. To Xur, you're just another weapon to call upon when he ignites another galactic war."

Jacen didn't grimace physically but felt the truth sting nonetheless. That was the _precise_ reason he had stayed out of the Mandalorian War when it had broken out. Xur had called for a swift and brutal entrance of the Jedi, willing to sacrifice entire planets just to hammer the Mandalorians back to their home planet. Luke knew that wasn't who the Jedi were, so Jacen had stood by his uncle.

He crossed his arms, finally moving his hand away from his hilt. "Who are you?"

Brisha looked away, back at the mansion. "I had a name once, years ago. Now, I'm known as Lumiya, trained by Darth Vader as an Emperor's Hand."

Jacen let out a sigh of concession. "So, Ben was right. This is a trap."

Lumiya's eyebrow rose, intrigued. Jacen continued, "You didn't bring me here to kill me. You brought me here to take up the mantle of the Sith."

She nodded. "Yes."

"Interesting," he noted. "What I can't seem to pinpoint is why you think I would, or better yet, why I would essentially declare war against Xur Eon in doing so."

Lumiya shook her head. "You don't understand. You've been at war with Xur Eon since your birth."

Jacen was baffled. "Explain."

"In a minute," she said with a pointed finger, motioning towards the mansion. "We've missed the premise of our location. Here is the mansion of Darth Vectivus, known for his actions as a benevolent Sith Lord."

He scratched his head. "I was wondering why it wasn't very _Sithy_ ," he said. "This is nothing like the Imperial Citadel on Dromund Kaas."

"Ah," Lumiya said, running her hand along one of the stone pillars holding the mansion up. "Another example of misdirected passion. The Sith have slaughtered themselves for millennia, all because they were galaxy-conquering psychopaths."

"Like Sidious," Jacen caught on.

"Like Sidious," Lumiya echoed. "You have the chance to seize the power of the Sith, and not only help people, but save your family from extinction."

He narrowed his eyes, going back to her comments about Xur. "You're saying Xur wants to wipe out my bloodline? That doesn't make any sense."

"It's true," she reinforced. "He saw what happened with Anakin Skywalker, and he knows it'll only be a matter of time before it happens again, and nothing will be able to stop him from fulfilling his destiny."

Jacen leaned forward, urging her to continue. "Xur Eon is Revan Reborn," she said. "Sworn to preserve a balance in the Force, something he's been able to avoid for long enough. If _you_ do not become Sith, then he will slaughter each and every one of you when the Force decrees it so."

"I've heard enough," another voice came from the tunnel, and Jacen turned to see Nelani approaching. "I'm sure you have as well, Jacen."

"Where's Ben?" he asked.

"Unconscious, but alive," she answered, her attention turning back to Lumiya. "And I'm taking you in."

Jacen shook his head, holding his hand out in front. "Hold on. I need to hear the rest of this."

"What?" Nelani asked, dumbfounded.

He ignored her. "While your points hold merit, Lumiya, I'm going to need more than your word to believe Xur would turn on his friends. That doesn't sound like his style, and you're forgetting a crucial part of the story. His wife is the Hero of Tython, and she'd never let him commit an act of such atrocity."

" _Ahsoka Tano_ ," Lumiya laughed through every syllable of her name. "While powerful, she'd never be able to kill her husband, and we know Xur would kill her if she stood in the way of his mandate."

"I think it's time for you to shut up," Nelani spat, igniting her yellow-white lightsaber.

"There's no need for that," Jacen stopped her again. "I need proof, Lumiya."

"You already have it," she said. "You just need to reach out for it."

Jacen knew what she meant. He had time-drifted only once before and vowed to never purposely delve into the future again, but what Lumiya was describing was too frightening to ignore. So, he reached out, grabbing ahold of the tide of the Force, and let it guide him.

The future was always in motion, just as Master Yoda had noted in the Jedi archives, which led him to a stream of flowing possibilities. However, some converged on certain areas, and Jacen saw some images clearly.

Nelani would testify against Lumiya Syo, and she would be found guilty for her crimes as the Emperor's Hand. She would be imprisoned, and Xur Eon would kill her himself, her knowledge dying with her.

The Galactic Alliance would crumble like a diseased body, while Xur's constant warlike nature would spell the same fate for the Order of Revan, as it would be destroyed by internal conflict.

Jacen and Xur found themselves facing each other, lightsabers ignited. At Xur's feet lay the lifeless bodies of Luke Skywalker, Ben Skywalker, and Ahsoka Tano. Behind them lied his mother, Leia, and his twin sister, Jaina. They fought, on and on, but Xur would eventually win, cutting Jacen down.

His family was dead.

 _He_ was dead.

"No," he whispered, bringing himself back to reality.

Nelani charged at Lumiya, but Jacen's green blade caught hers, and he pushed her back until he was between them.

"I'm taking her in," Nelani declared.

"She remains free," Jacen shook his head. "If you take her…," he couldn't say the rest of the words. _Xur Eon murders me and my entire family._

Nelani froze, and Jacen desperately searched for a future in which all of them could make it out of here alive…but he knew there were none.

Lumiya could sense it, and he knew it. "There is one thing about the Sith. We strengthen ourselves through sacrifice."

Jacen, grudgingly, nodded. "Yes."

Nelani, realizing what Jacen intended, turned and ran.

Until a green blade impaled her body and ended her life.


	6. The First Steps

**Chapter 5: The First Steps**

 **Coronet City, Corellia**

 **CIS, Galactic Alliance**

 **30 ABY**

Jaina shuddered, and was hit with an instantaneous headache, making her instinctually cover her forehead with her hand. Grimacing, she paced away from where Jag and Petra were interrogating their new Mandalorian friend, using a nearby steel beam to support her. She could feel the Force bend around her, retracting in an unnatural way before snapping back into shape. In that instant, her headache faded, and the feeling was gone.

Something happened to Jacen. Their twin bond was weaker than normal, and she could feel it gradually fading…until it too snapped back into place.

"I think General Solo is having some- ah!" Xiso yelped as a jolt of electricity leapt from his stun-cuffs.

"You speak when you're spoken to," Petra reiterated, waving the stun remote in front of him, receiving a glare in return. The togruta-zabrak looked back to see Jaina staring at the wall aimlessly, since they had moved into a side room with no windows. She could sense something was wrong, and she leaned close to Jag, bringing her voice down to a very low whisper.

"Maybe you should talk to her," she suggested, and then sensed a repulsive feeling from him once she finished suggesting it.

"I don't think so," he shook his head, keeping their conversation out of earshot.

Petra grumbled with annoyance. "You know, I get the whole 'wounded ex' act, but you and I both know you're the issue here," she realized too late that she had overstepped her boundaries, but Petra could honestly care less. People's feelings were usually at the bottom of her list of concerns, except when it came to either Jaina or Jacen's. When their feelings were hurt, her feelings were hurt, and thus was why she was going to be hard on Jag if he kept this up.

Her comment didn't seem to hurt his feelings, in fact she felt somewhat of a recognition of fault, and she caught his eyes flash towards Jaina before he could hide it. He huffed, "Later."

She knew that was the best she was going to get, but it was progress. "Fine."

When they turned back to Xiso, he looked as if he was going to say something, but Petra hovered her thumb over the button, and he stopped himself. "So, you're the strongest warrior of Clan Ordo, which, as you admit, has diminished recently, and you thought killing me would bring you closer to becoming the new Mandalore."

Xiso shook his head. "I wasn't trying to kill you."

Petra rolled her eyes. "You fired six shots at me that were all going to be hits. Now why the hell should I believe you?"

He shrugged. "Had to keep you on your toes, also I figured _Petra Eon_ would be able to deflect a few laser bolts."

She twirled the remote in her hand, and he raised his hands in protest. "Alright, fine," he then sighed, as if he was embarrassed. "I needed to get your attention…because I need your help."

Petra tried not to laugh. "In what _star system_ would I ever help a _Mandalorian_?"

"Might I suggest-," Jag interrupted. "He's trustworthy… _more or less_ …but I'll vouch for him. Let's at least hear what he has to say."

Her eyes grudgingly panned away but couldn't find a valid excuse to deny his request. She hooked the remote to her belt. "Lover-Boy seems to like you, so count yourself lucky."

Jag uncomfortably grimaced at the mention of her pet name for him but figured there was nothing he could do to stop her from using it. As long as he pushed Jaina away, Petra wasn't going to be happy with him.

Xiso offered Jag a look of appreciation but didn't push Petra's waiver any further. "I need to find the Darksaber. My people have been divided for too long, and it's time for us to come together…rebuild."

Petra shrugged again. "You still haven't told me why I'd help you."

"Thrackan Sal-Solo has it," Xiso answered.

Jaina suddenly turned from her corner. "How?"

"No one knows," Xiso said. "The last person to wield that blade was Bo-Katan Kryze, but she was killed by Arrum Vizsla."

"Mandalore the Conqueror," Jag filled in. Arrum Vizsla was killed in single combat by Xur Eon, but Petra remembered that he never wielded the Darksaber. The weapon had served as a symbol of Mandalorian leadership for a millennium, and without it the clans would remain divided. "So, if we help you get to Sal-Solo, you'll help us capture him, as well as get the Darksaber for yourself."

Xiso tipped his head in agreement. "Good to see you can still piece things together, Fel."

Petra's eyes panned away as Jag looked to her, expecting an answer, but she turned to Jaina instead. "Can we get any word to the fleet?"

Jaina shook her head. "I've been trying. Our comms are still jammed."

Petra knew what that meant. There were still thousands of battle droids roaming Corellia between them and Sal-Solo, and by now they would've searched their crash and ID'd them. With the current hostilities, they were alone and on the run.

Which meant, no matter what she felt, they were going to need all the help they could get.

"Fine," Petra said, igniting her lightsaber and cutting Xiso free. "But one wrong move, and I'll kill you. We clear?"

Xiso nodded, rubbing his wrists. "Crystal."

* * *

 **Galactic Alliance HQ, Coruscant**

 **Neutral Zone**

 **30 ABY**

Jacen still had his doubts, but he was past the point of no return now.

He had returned to Coruscant with Ben, but not before he had wiped the boy's memories of Lumiya or Nelani to keep his actions from Luke. His first instinct was to check up on progress from Petra and Jaina's mission, but quickly rolled back his concerns. If he was to become a Sith Lord and restore stability to the galaxy, he would need to be willing to do anything.

And that meant sacrifice his friends and family, if necessary.

 _We strengthen ourselves through sacrifice._

Lumiya had left him with that phrase, and while part of him regretted having to kill Nelani, he couldn't deny the rush and exhilaration that came with it. Thanks to Xur Eon, the man who was now his enemy, Jacen had learned various dark side techniques along the way, and he would finally be able to put them to use.

Today, however, politics would be the first obstacle to conquer.

The Order of Revan would never bend to his will, as it was simply too enamored by the Eon surname to ever have the stomach to turn against it. Supreme Commander Vorchenko held a firm grip on policy, and she'd never let Prime Minister Remus Jarrut get away with passing legislation that could damage Xur Eon in any way.

The Galactic Alliance, on the other hand, did not owe their existence to anyone, and thus would be able to do the things necessary for Jacen to restore order to the galaxy. To do that, he needed political and military allies inside the Alliance, allies that didn't shy away from making the hard decisions, as well as people who enjoyed them. With Imperial Remnant leaders finding their way into seats of power recently, he figured they wouldn't be hard to find.

To his luck, today was the monthly negotiation meeting between the Alliance and Order of Revan, which meant everyone he would need to see would be within close reach.

With one, swift stroke, he would begin his ascension.

* * *

 **Coronet City, Corellia**

 **CIS, Galactic Alliance**

 **30 ABY**

The battle was still raging in Corellian orbit, and Jaina still couldn't see reinforcements. The Insurgent fleet had taken them completely by surprise, but luckily didn't seem strong enough to win. Outdated, Confederate ships weren't going to defeat state-of-the-art, Star Forge crafted and enhanced Revanite Interdictors, so it left Jaina wondering why the CIS would commit to an attack so reckless and bold.

If it was an Insurgent fleet at all. With no comms, it was impossible to know what was really going on.

She could sense Jag wanted to talk to her but was using every fiber of his body to refrain from it. It was for the best, because she wasn't sure she'd have an answer for anything he'd ask. It had been almost a decade since the Mandalorian War, but the rift she had created still felt fresh, reopened by this mission.

And Petra was _still_ calling him "Lover-Boy".

Xiso was back in full armor, his face concealed by his rusty orange Mandalorian helmet, and leading the way to Sal-Solo's residence. He was fast-paced, which she liked, but lacked communication and often shot up into the sky with his jetpack unannounced to clear an obstacle. Jaina could tell Petra still didn't trust him in the slightest, and she didn't need the Force to know that.

They had passed an uncountable amount of B1 and B2 units on the way, but Xiso knew his way around, and they reached the residence within the hour. Dusk had fallen by now, which would make it easier for them to sneak around and retrieve what they needed, but she knew better than that. Sal-Solo was her father's cousin, and he was as paranoid as they got. His residence would be filled with enough traps to stop anyone, even well-trained Jedi.

"Look alive," Xiso said through his helmet. "We're approaching the hornet's nest."

Petra rolled her eyes as they stayed just outside of the security camera's reach. "Let's just get this over with so we can get the hell out of here."

Jag narrowed his eyes. "Cameras, motion sensors atop the duracrete wall, see?" he pointed out. The wall was lined with barbed-wire which was likely tagged as well. Behind that was the residence itself. "Probably trackers along the ground as well."

"Probably," Jaina echoed. "I could lift you with the Force over the wall, while Petra tricks the cameras-,"

Xiso raised his blaster and fired two darts into the cameras. "Done," he said. "They're on loop."

Petra grit her teeth in annoyance. "Don't do anything like that again without telling me."

The Mandalorian shrugged dismissively. "Of course, General."

Jaina rolled her eyes. "As I was saying, I can lift Jag over the wall, but I won't be able to precisely maintain him from here. I'd need to get someplace higher, so I could see him."

"Forget that," Petra interjected. "I can just float over and create a Force bubble, shielding body heat and movement until I reach the door, but I'd need a code-scrambler to turn off the security systems."

"Got you covered there," Xiso said, pulling a circular device from his belt. "Just place it on the door's keypad and it'll let you right in."

Jag chuckled. "You did always have the right tools for the job."

"Remind me to ask why you aided us during the war in the first place," Petra noted, taking the device and attaching it to her own belt.

"Another time," Xiso insisted, without even a moment's hesitation. "Let's move, General. Daylight's wasting."

* * *

 **Kaas City Ruins, Dromund Kaas**

 **Order of Revan**

 **30 ABY**

Xur set down his SF3 Advanced in his usual swamp clearing, just outside the edges of the overgrown remains of the ancient Sith capital. He had come here more times than he could count since the Empire fell, as it served as his guide when he felt dark disturbances across the galaxy.

Something felt different about this visit.

Only last night did he feel an incredible tip in the scale of the Force, and it was too like the one he had felt when Order 66 raged across the galaxy, albeit not as intense. As Revan Reborn, it was his duty to investigate, target, and destroy any rising tide of evil _before_ it achieved full strength.

The zabrak had removed his cape almost two decades ago, as he wanted to retreat from the look of someone majestic. Now, he found nostalgic comfort in Clone Wars era black robing, while still holding onto Revan's gloves and his own horned version of Revan's mask. To make up for the new lack of concealment, he had finally accepted a black cloak around his body.

He jumped from his cockpit and landed on the muddy surface, feeling his joints and aged bones crack into place as he moved. Each of these excursions also unfortunately reminded him of how old he was now.

 _You were right, Princess. I'm not getting any younger._

A small nudge came back through his bond with Ahsoka, and he knew she was smiling about being right, wherever she was now.

After taking his first few steps through the forest, he reached out to Petra, and received a I'll-get-back-to-you-in-a-moment response. That was fairly common, as his little girl was always busy nowadays.

The zabrak ignored the little creatures scurrying around him as he broke through the swamp edge and was greeted to the rain that constantly poured across the planet. Thunder cracked in the sky as the clouds glowed with the bright light of lightning. In front of him was a large, black, overgrown wall that once was a security gate, and through that was the old Imperial Citadel.

Xur reached to his belt and pulled a Sith holocron, only needing a few seconds of concentration to open it, as he had virtually mastered the art by now.

"Have you come with questions?" asked the red hologram of Darth Traya, in which he had projected to life-size as he clipped the holocron back to his belt.

"I actually fancied a walk, Kreia," Xur said. "But I could ask you questions on the way, if you like."

The old, hooded woman began to walk alongside him as he entered the city gates. "Ah," she said. "The ancient Sith homeworld. You have returned once again."

Rusted metal creaked in the distance as he walked through the plaza, ruined buildings surrounding him. "I wanted to ask something concerning age, actually."

"Death is a natural form of life, Eon," she replied. "You must not be afraid of it."

"That's not what I meant," he corrected. "I mean I've been thinking about quitting this life for good."

Traya sighed. "If only that were possible."

"What do you mean?"

She did not answer immediately. "Before we began, Meetra and I, I warned her of the price of war, and what it does…what it requires of those that serve it. I wanted her to be sure; sure, that she was willing to sacrifice everything, because war is a path few turn from once the first steps are taken."

Xur tried to be respectful. "You've told me this."

"I know," she acknowledged. "But you must understand that there is nothing that can stop what's already been decided for you."

The zabrak stopped, turning to face her hologram. "What are you talking about?"

"Just like Meetra," she explained. "War is your sculptor, and you are a prisoner to its design…and its will," she paused, looking him directly in the eye. "The price you must pay for your power is nearly due, Eon."

Xur crossed his arms. "Kreia, enough with the riddles. Just tell me what's going on."

Traya nodded. "Jacen Solo has taken his first steps towards becoming a Sith Lord, and _you_ will be the one who trains him."

His eyes widened behind his mask. Jacen, a _Sith Lord_? If anything, he was the _last_ Jedi he'd expect to fall, and even if it was, how had he not sensed it?

He shook his head in denial. "I will not train Jacen."

"Have you forgotten who had orchestrated everything for you?" Traya asked. "It was the Sith who trained you on Korriban. It was the Sith holocrons that had led you to the Star Forge. It was the _Sith_ who gave you the power to destroy Darth Sidious, finally ending the Rule of Two once and for all. Did you not think they would ask for something in return?"

Xur felt betrayed. Everything he had bled for, earned, and destroyed was all so that the Sith could reform themselves and rise again. He wanted to deny it all, but his heart betrayed him. He knew it was true.

"Why?" he asked. "Even if I followed through with this, there has to be a reason behind it. I won't just create a new Sith legion because you ask me to."

Traya looked away, then back at him, and he knew this was his destiny simply with the look she gave him.

"Heed my words carefully, Eon, for the survival of this galaxy depends on you."

* * *

 **Coronet City, Corellia**

 **CIS, Galactic Alliance**

 **30 ABY**

 _This is for you, Mara._

Petra had already cleared the wall, using continuous fits of Force energy to propel her forward without her feet ever touching the ground. While this was trivial for someone with her skill in the Force, the second task was taking its toll. To fool Sal-Solo's thermal sensors, she had to create a bubble of energy that encased her body as she floated, which took copious amounts of concentration to maintain. On top of that, in encasing herself the temperature was rising by what felt like the second, and she could already feel sweat beginning to pour down her face.

She had learned the technique from Mara only a few years ago and wished the former Emperor's Hand was there to see it in action.

Sal-Solo's estate was majestic once she was over the wall, but she knew better than to revel in it. One misstep and she'd be detected, and they'd have B1 units swarming them within minutes.

Unable to wipe sweat from her eyes, she shook her head as she approached the door, spotting the keypad right where Xiso had mentioned. How he knew his way around Corellia so well would be another question she'd have to ask him.

If she didn't kill him first. After all, he was still a Mandalorian, one of the people who murdered many of her friends.

Forcing the thoughts from her head to maintain focus, Petra reached down to her belt and shakily attached the device to the keypad, silently hoping it would be a quick hack. She knew better with Han Solo's cousin, though.

Her prayers were answered, however, and the device dinged satisfyingly, but not before a rectangular power generator at the far side of the estate discharged, and the lights to the house cut out. The sudden explosion knocked her concentration just enough for her bubble to fail, and she landed on the front porch with a thud, the change in temperature feeling like a cold blizzard raging across her skin.

No alarms sounded, and she let out a sigh of relief, reaching for her commlink.

"I'm in," she said, moving to the door. Soon she heard feet landing and a jetpack, and she turned to see Xiso, Jag, and Jaina had cleared the wall already.

The togruta-zabrak looked down to see her clothing covered in sweat and shivered violently in disgust. " _Ugh_."

Jaina smiled, giving her a pat on the shoulder as she passed by. "Nice job."

She shrugged. "Thanks."

Xiso was already at the door, pulling the device free before entering the residence, his rifle raised. Jag followed behind, doing the same.

Jaina called back in her senses. "It's empty."

Xiso shook his head, his helmet scanning every dark corner. "You can never be too careful. I'd imagine my bit of malware wouldn't be able to reach his treasure cache."

"That's what that was?" Petra asked, one of her hilts in hand. "The explosion could've got me killed by the way."

"You've faced worse," Xiso replied, coming to the basement door.

Petra wasn't sure if she should be angry with him for telling her to suck it up or be relieved that he wasn't babying her like everyone else. More often than not, everyone was always trying to please her, _especially_ men. That meant everyone was concerned for her well-being, or always trying to keep her in a good mood…usually irritating her just for doing so. Jaina was the only one in the galaxy, she felt, truly understood her.

Maybe she'd wait a day to kill Xiso.

After trying to force the door open to no avail, Xiso grumbled and looked to Jaina. "General Solo, if you please."

She nodded, igniting her violet blade. "Stand back."

As Xiso cleared the way, Jaina cut the door down with an x-shaped cut, pulling the pieces from the frame with an outstretched hand. Once it was clear, she allowed Xiso to take the lead inside.

"Good to see your affinity for destruction is still intact," Jag tried to joke, almost sounding as if he forced himself to say it.

Jaina took it anyway, chuckling slightly. "It never went anywhere."

Xiso looked around Sal-Solo's cache, only to find a lot of meaningless items as he probed his helmet light around the basement. Frustration set in as he worried his intel was flawed, but he was quickly satisfied when his eyes locked on a grey hilt sitting atop a pile of shining minerals. Lowering his weapon and attaching it to his back, he reached out a took the ancient weapon into his grip.

He smiled behind his helmet as he held the power of Mandalore in his hand.

"Well?" Petra asked. "Are you going to show us or what?"

Suddenly, the ceiling collapsed above them, and each of them shielded themselves from the shower of debris that fell upon them. Once it had settled, the sound of four pairs of metal feet filled their ears.

Petra's eyes widened. "Eff-kays!"

The black humanoid super-droids had their piercing red eyes locked on each of them, and Petra and Jaina's sabers ignited, waiting for them to attack.

"Yes," a voice sounding similar to Han Solo came from above. Jaina looked up to see Thrackan Sal-Solo standing at the entrance to the basement, smiling. "I'll be sure to tell your father, Jaina, that you fought bravely in your last moments," he sneered. "Because none of you are walking out of here alive."

* * *

 **Galactic Alliance HQ, Coruscant**

 **Neutral Zone**

 **30 ABY**

Jacen was doing his best not to smile at the ease in which he would be able to manipulate the Alliance. In front of him was a table surrounded by gullible delegates arguing like schoolchildren over which portion of the galaxy would be theirs.

To his right sat Luke, who was with him representing the Jedi Order, while along one side of the table were the high-ranking members of the Order of Revan: Supreme Commander Reyna Vorchenko and Prime Minister Remus Jarrut. Vorchenko was much more choice with her words, but when she struck, she went for the kill. Jarrut was far more outspoken, spending much of his time on his feet, trying to display his oratory skills to their potential. Across them sat Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance Cal Omas, Supreme Commander Gilad Pellaeon, and the female mon-cal Admiral Cha Niathal. Grand Admiral Natia Telos was supposed to sit across from her, but since she was busy pulling the Revanite fleet from the gutter over Corellia, her seat was vacant.

"That was reckless sending a fleet to Corellia," Pellaeon scolded. "Not to mention a violation of Alliance sovereign territory."

Vorchenko, who matched him in elderly age, didn't flinch in the slightest. "With the Azure Accords, Corellia is no longer _Alliance_ sovereign territory. Besides, this mission was sanctioned and directed by the Jedi Order, an organization that has enforcement authority across the galaxy _regardless_ of border."

Luke said nothing, and there was no need to. Everyone knew that was true.

"Corellia is a problem none of you seem capable of fixing," Jarrut shot back. "We felt it necessary to preserve the integrity of galactic stability."

"That's not your decision to make," Omas replied coolly.

"Have you looked outside?" Jarrut continued. "There are millions of Corellians on Coruscant, and they're not going to quiet down anytime soon. We've already received more bomb threats than usual, and Coruscant security has had their hands full…another thing _you're_ not contributing towards enough."

Jacen had a thought on that, but he couldn't say it in front of Luke. He was just biding his time at this point, absorbing as much information as he could to determine the best course of action towards bringing this chaos to order.

After many more minutes of debate, and Luke throwing in opinions on deaf ears, Jacen spotted Vorchenko refer to her datapad a few times, and he could sense a feeling of relief. From what he could read, she could have a trump card ready for play.

The door opened, and Jacen did his best to hide his distaste as Xur Eon took the empty seat around the table, dressed in traditional black Jedi robes, and completely without his mask projector around his ears. He sensed something… _different_ about him…there was resolve, _resignation_ , and…

He was forced out of the zabrak's head so violently he did his best to not look startled.

Luke narrowed his eyes at Xur. "I thought you retired?"

"Reinstated," Xur corrected, feigning a look of an old man trying to relive the glory days. "What can I say? War is my resume."

 _Liar_. Jacen thought to himself. There was absolutely something else going on, and interesting it was happening the day Jacen had declared himself the heir to the Sith mantle. After the zabrak had purged Jacen's probes, the young human felt him returning the favor, invading his mind until he encountered too much resistance.

 _He knows…but that's impossible. No one else was on that asteroid. How could he?_

What was curious was the sense of resignation that he had felt in Xur. He had never known him to ever resign to _anything_ , especially when it came to warfare. It's how he defeated the Empire, after all.

 _He may not know I'm becoming a Sith…but he knows_ something _. Something that shook him to the core._

"I've appointed now _Director_ Eon as my Secretary of Defense and Security," Vorchenko revealed, which caught Jarrut by surprise. "And his first order will be to organize a Coruscant defense unit specializing in maintaining order during the brewing crisis."

Xur nodded. "We're calling it the RSR, or the Revanite Security Regiment."

Luke interjected before the Alliance officials could protest. "What exactly will this regiment do?"

"I'm glad you asked," Xur said. "The RSR will be responsible for detaining citizens who present a clear danger to the planet of Coruscant and the Neutral Zone as a whole. We will be bound of course by the Azure Accords Neutral Zone charter, but we will be acting at the discretion of the Order of Revan."

Pellaeon grimaced in disgust. "What you're proposing is utter insanity. 'Detainment of those who present a clear danger' can be twisted extravagantly, and what's to stop you from holding _Alliance_ citizens?"

"Nothing," Xur shook his head. "Residents of Coruscant are considered a part of the Neutral Zone, as the Accords do not divide the planet between sovereign powers. They are subject to both powers' jurisdiction."

Omas sighed and stopped Pallaeon from continuing. "He's right, Commander."

Jacen felt a flicker of joy within him. Xur had just unwittingly presented the Galactic Alliance straight into Jacen's hands.

 _Or does he know precisely what he's doing?_ Jacen questioned, and then found himself considering something far more insane.

 _Is he helping me?_

This was all too unusual, and it was making Jacen feel uneasy. The vision of Xur murdering his entire family was still fresh in his mind, and he wondered if this was where it all began. Establishing some secret police would only alienate the Jedi from the Order, and Xur had always been adamant when it came to maintaining them as an ally.

Or maybe he had finally lost faith in Luke's ability to do what was necessary, and on that, Jacen agreed, but the only way to truly know was to face Xur. He hated going forward without assurances, something he got from his mother, but now he would have to take a leap of faith.

Luke leaned in, whispering to Jacen as Xur continued.

"He's acting strange," he said.

Jacen nodded and whispered back. "He is."


	7. Rebirth

**Chapter 6: Rebirth**

 _Ahsoka,_

 _I know by the time this gets to you, you won't understand, but I need you to hear this. Everything I do from this point on won't be logical; it won't make sense, but it must be done. There are things so terrible that sacrificing everything I know is necessary…and that time has come. There will come a time where you may hate me…and just know that I'm not taking this lightly. You mean the universe to me, but for our daughter's children to live in peace, I must become something else._

 _I love you, Princess. That will never change._

 _-Xur Eon, message deleted from private RSR terminal_

* * *

 **RSR Director's Office, Coruscant**

 **Neutral Zone**

 **30 ABY**

Jacen didn't wait for Xur to get settled into his office before he decided to see him. He needed to get the lay of the battlefield before he could make moves against him, and his recent behavior was oddly alarming. The zabrak had been the biggest opposer of the Azure Accords, claiming that appeasing the growing factions inside each superpower would only make the situation worse, but his RSR suggested that he was willing to cross a line.

Something had shaken the Clone Wars veteran to the core.

Luke's decision to wait to enter the Mandalorian War couldn't have been the cause, otherwise he would've never allowed the Accords to happen. Jacen dared to think it was the enigmatic and extraordinarily top-secret "Unspoken Conflict" that happened a few years ago, resulting in the destruction of the Star Forge and the covered-up disappearance of Sernpidal from the galactic map.

He didn't dare think about it any further. Any mention of it was an automatic court-martial and exile from civilized space.

The RSR Director's Office was in the Revanite HQ, right across the speed-way from the Alliance HQ. Jacen wasn't invited, but as he approached the open door, he could feel Xur's senses locating him…and he suddenly felt as if he was _expected_ to be there.

As the young Jedi rounded the door, Xur was sitting at his desk, eyes already locked on him. "Jacen," he greeted. "I was wondering when you would show up."

Jacen cocked an eyebrow. "You were expecting me?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"I was," Xur confirmed, and then gestured for him to enter. Jacen obliged, albeit trying to hide a deep paranoia. The zabrak then waved his hand, and the door shut behind him. "We need to talk."

 _He's trying to intimidate me._

Jacen looked around the mostly empty office, finding nothing of interest to begin the conversation, so just settled in to a chair at the other end of the desk.

Xur didn't waste any time. "I just came back from Dromund Kaas. You wouldn't believe what I discovered."

Jacen retracted his emotions, giving the zabrak nothing to work from, just flashing him a humorless smile. "What was that?"

He shrugged. "Want to take a guess?"

 _Oh, you're not getting me that easy._

He played the young-and-naïve card. "More useless Sith relics?"

"No relics," he shook his head, his eyes never peeling from Jacen. "But a little bird chirped and told me that _you_ …were starting to get ideas…like becoming the next Sith Lord."

 _Ah, so you do know. Should've guessed._

Jacen knew trying to deny it was useless, and he could feel his hand instinctually inching towards his lightsaber. "A _little bird_ told you this?"

Xur reached back, making Jacen feel tense, and didn't relax when he revealed a Sith holocron, tossing it onto the desk. He could only helplessly stare at the red and black object. "I'm curious…who convinced you this was a good idea?"

Jacen was too busy wondering why Xur hadn't already impaled him through the chest by now to give a relevant answer. "I-I don't…it's a-,"

"Long story? I figured," Xur said, and then revealed a hilt in his gloved hand. Before Jacen could rise and retaliate, his own hilt was ripped from his grip violently, slapping into Xur's gloved hand. "You know what else the little bird told me?" he asked, igniting his saber to reveal an unstable, crimson beam.

 _This is how it starts. This is when he runs off to kill everyone I've ever loved…and I'm not strong enough to face him…yet._

Jacen decided to play his game. "What else?"

Xur suddenly paused, and Jacen could sense that resignation he felt earlier once again. He raised the crackling beam before deactivating it, and then held out the hilt for Jacen to take. "It told me _I'm_ supposed to help you."

 _So, he really did push the Alliance into my hands purposefully._

Jacen had no clue as to why Xur would ever agree to become a Sith, or if he even _could_. And yet, he was well aware of what the zabrak knew. He had the philosophies of the Jedi of old, the ancient Sith; boundless amounts of knowledge Jacen could only benefit from.

And as a Sith, Jacen would be destined to destroy him. It was almost too perfect.

He reached out and took the hilt from Xur's hand. "Where do we start?"

Xur's hand moved to the silver clips around his ears, and with a one-fingered tap Revan's mask enveloped his face, projecting his voice. "Your new master. Take me to them."

* * *

 **Sal-Solo Mansion, Corellia**

 **CIS, Galactic Alliance**

 **30 ABY**

Petra and Jaina's battle-meld snapped into shape between them, their thoughts intertwining, and ideas shared. In the span of an instant, they had a synchronized lay of the duel ahead. The four FK units slowly closed in, waiting for their opponents' first move, or the order from Sal-Solo to fire. Jag and Xiso had weapons drawn, taking position behind the two force-wielders and waited for a signal.

The area was too small for an extended duel, and FK units were ideal in closed spaces, especially in groups. Petra knew all this, as her father was the one who had created the droids in the first place. Their plating could withstand a few lightsaber hits and were adept at predicting Force techniques before they were used. Chokes, pushes, throws, and even lightning could be countered with various gadgets. They were built to slaughter inquisitors, and now they're a Jedi's worst nightmare.

A _Jedi's_ worst nightmare.

An idea sparked in both Jaina and Petra's minds, and they executed it. Jaina backed behind Petra with a quick sidestep while she unleashed a bone-cracking Force wave at the droid units. As they staggered, latches in their metal feet digging into the duracrete floor, Jaina grabbed ahold of Jag and jumped through the broken ceiling the FKs had destroyed in their ambush, landing back in the mansion's foyer. Jag's weight was taxing, but not something the Force couldn't help her compensate for.

With the units about to recover, Petra screamed, "Burn this place down!"

Xiso, still behind her, caught on quickly, unleashing a stream of flames from his forearm while Petra backflipped into the foyer. The wood supports caught fire and began to spread through the basement, scrambling the FK sensors long enough for Xiso to take flight with his jetpack and exit the basement.

Only six seconds had passed.

Smoke detectors blared as the fire began to spread, but the FKs were quick to follow their escape. Jaina let go of Jag and leapt forward, meeting one of the unit's arm blades with her violet saber. Bolts from Jag's rifle kept another unit from slashing her at the waist, forcing it to block the bolts with an energy shield on its arm. Jaina could sense Petra fighting as well, but further away. The units were intentionally dividing their forces between two force-sensitives, calculating they had a higher probability of success if they could isolate Jaina and Petra.

The FK unit slashed with its other forearm blade, and Jaina was forced to duck to avoid the decapitating blow. She met each of its next blows with her lightsaber, and its mechanical strength was intense, reminding her of duels against Petra's Form VII back at the Jedi Temple. In those cases, she would have to retaliate before she was completely batted to the ground, and it would have to be lethal.

But her concentration was divided, as the other FK unit would eventually reach Jag, and she could only hope that the soldier had a few tricks up his sleeve for the killing machine.

She needed to be extraordinarily precise if she was going to take out both units.

When the FK swung with both arms, Jaina rolled along the floor, swiping at the unit's kneecaps and leaving a black burn where she had hit. The droid expected another slash to finish the job, but Jaina instead plunged her blade into its back, the one spot not protected by its super-armor. As the droid crackled and died from the fatal attack, Jaina used all her strength to hurl the body into the other unit, sending them both careening into through the drywall.

The anti-fire countermeasures had put out the fire in the mansion by now, and Jaina's danger sense rattled her spine just in time to deflect a blaster bolt from Sal-Solo. He stood at the exit to the mansion, his blaster drawn and hand fumbling with a commlink.

B1 units were surely on the way, and the other FK unit tossed the dead one off its body. Jag fired on it, but the shots were batted away with its energy shield, and its knee servos screamed as it leapt atop Jaina, whose focus was fixed on Sal-Solo's blasterfire.

"Jaina!" Jag screamed, pouring more blaster bolts into the unit, whose torso was being melted by the outpour he unleashed, but not enough to disable it. It struggled to hold Jaina in place to land a killing blow, but Jag knew she wouldn't hold on indefinitely. Holding his rifle by the other end, he clubbed the FK with the butt of his gun. With it staggering, Jaina ignited her blade and sliced right through the vulnerable neck area, shutting down the unit for good.

Jag turned to find Sal-Solo, but he was gone, likely ran off during their exchange. Jaina pushed the unit from her body, blood spewing from her mouth as she coughed. Her lip was split at the end, and her face bruised from the encounter.

He knelt as she sat up. "Are you alright?"

She spat the last bit of blood from her mouth. "Yeah…yeah, I'm fine," she nodded, before trying to get up, only to almost black out from the pain she felt. A scream followed, and every movement was suddenly followed by excruciating pain.

"What's wrong?" he asked, frantically setting his weapon down. Jaina shook her head as she tried to hold back another scream, and then pointed to her shoulder nearest to him. Her arm was unmoving, and he could quickly recognize the issue.

Jag grimaced. "Dammit. We have to put it back in place," he said, pointing to her dislocated shoulder, likely from the initial tackle.

She nodded through grit teeth. "Do it!"

He didn't waste any time, not giving her a chance to dread what was coming. With two hands, he quickly forced the joint back together, and Jaina screamed again. Her screams were starting to eat away at him, its noise admittedly unbearable to hear.

All he could do was hope Petra and Xiso could wrap up their fight soon.

Xiso was trying not to be cut down by the ferocity that Petra was putting on display. As much as he wanted to break out his newly-acquired Darksaber, he worried that getting in her way would only put her in danger. It was a tactical decision, especially since he was smart enough to know that Petra was the superior warrior. Her violet blades were slashing through the air as she put each FK on the defensive as soon as the engagement started. When the other approached, she would switch off, but the units were beginning to read her fight pattern and closing the gap between each other.

That would be his time to strike.

Petra deflected each arm blade from the units with vicious ferocity, utilizing a mastered Form VII technique that her father had ingrained into her head. She had been fighting FK units as training since she was 16, so it was practically another day in the training room.

But those deactivated before they killed her.

She could feel them learning with each trick she pulled from her sleeve, and it made her wonder when the hell Xiso was going to show up. Her senses told her he was circling the battle, maybe trying to flank the FKs, but that wasn't going to help her anytime soon.

"Are you…," she grunted as she unleashed another flurry upon one of the units. "…going to help me?!"

No answer came, and she tried not to become infuriated in the middle of a battle, but she found it hard to be surprised she couldn't rely on a Mandalorian.

The moment hit, and the FKs had analyzed her fight pattern. They both converged with equal ferocity, and Petra was suddenly on the defensive, her Form VII being used against her. A robotic fist crashed straight into her jaw, and she fell back, dazed. Double Vision saved her from the killing blow as she rolled, but her skull was radiating hot pain, followed by the taste of blood in her mouth.

One FK unit dropped dead as the Darksaber blade emerged from its chest, and suddenly Petra only had to deal with one opponent. Embracing her pain to fuel her rage, she roared, charging at the unit and using everything she had to cut it down, but it still had her fight pattern locked in.

She was met with a side-step, and she only barreled helplessly forward until a hard, metal boot kicked right into her back. As she crashed, the pain in her skull intensified, and she couldn't hold back a scream.

Fighting through it, she rolled over, only to see Xiso cutting the unit down at the neck.

Unable to get up without paying for it in pain, she fumed, "What took you so damn long?!"

Xiso cocked his head as he sheathed his hilt behind his back, his helmet hiding his expression. "Tactical retreat and ambush, General," he explained. "It works well against Force Killers, as you can see."

"At my expense!" she growled, once again attempting to get up, only to flop back onto the floor as her arms gave out. She was lucky her spinal armor had been there, otherwise the kick she received could've paralyzed her permanently. Xiso stepped forward and offered a hand, but she waved it off. "I don't need your damn help."

"Suit yourself," he replied nonchalantly, and then began to walk off.

Even though she had denied his offer, she still felt annoyed by the fact that he planned to leave her there to tend to her own wounds. With sporadic grunts, she reached over to her belt pocket, and pulled out the one bacta injection she had left. She hated self-injecting it, but she didn't have much of a choice now.

Once she had administered it, and the initial kick had run its course, Petra was beginning to get up only to hear Xiso's voice again.

"General Solo is injured. It's not pretty," he said.

Petra's eyes widened, and her pain was no longer a concern. Half-sprinting through the ruined household, past Xiso and into the foyer, she spotted Jag trying to ease Jaina to her feet. Her face had been utterly battered, nothing that wouldn't heal, but her right arm was hanging uselessly as Jag had to use her left to swing around his neck.

"Jaina!" she called, running to her side. "Are you alright?"

She nodded, albeit looking flustered. "Man, those eff-kays are nasty."

Petra looked to Jag, seeking an honest answer. He nodded, "Just a dislocated shoulder, but she'll be alright. Sal-Solo got away."

The togruta-zabrak wiped blood from her lips, feeling bad she didn't have any more bacta left. She dared to look to Xiso.

"Not that I expect an idiot to heal himself, but would you happen to have healing supplies?" she asked him.

He shook his head, showing little to no reaction to her insult. "No, I don't. I apologize, General Solo."

Jaina shrugged. "I'll live."

"Maybe," Jag figured. "But reinforcements are definitely on their way, and we can't stay here. We need a quick exit."

Xiso flicked his head towards the back of the house. "Sal-Solo has an escape transport in the back of his mansion. We could take it and try to escape Corellia altogether."

"Run?" Petra spat. "With our fleet still in orbit?!"

Jag actually looked furious with her. "We don't have a choice! If we stay, we die, and the Order of Revan loses their two most important generals. What good will that do anyone?"

Jaina gave her a reassuring look after she still didn't look convinced. "He's right, Petra. I know you don't like running, but our odds of surviving another attack are slim."

Whether or not she agreed, it didn't matter. She was outvoted with a fellow general, so pulling rank was no longer an option.

And she couldn't bear to see Jaina die.

"Fine," she huffed, defeated. "We run."

Whispers suddenly filled her mind, making her eyes pan back towards the entrance to the basement. They were inaudible and senseless, but definitely there, and she could feel them dragging her back where they had found the Darksaber.

"It's this way," Xiso answered Jag, who had asked where they would find the escape shuttle.

Petra couldn't let it go. She _had_ to see where the whispers were leading her.

"Petra, we need to move," Jag pestered her, and she bit back a retort.

"I'll be right behind you," she urged. "I promise."

He gave her one last trying look, but he eventually dropped it and began to follow Xiso out the back of the mansion, helping Jaina along the way.  
As soon as they were out of earshot, Petra briskly walked to the entrance of the basement, still smoking and smelling of burnt wood from the fire. The whispers escalated as she descended the steps, the words becoming clearer instead of a twisted jumble.

 _Limitsnolimitspoweryoulimitsnohavelimitsnone._

There was now a distinct red hue, its glow pulsing like a heartbeat, and once Petra reached the bottom, the source of the light was covered by black soot. Fighting past the constant whispers, she cleared away the soot to reveal a red, rectangular object, its archaic designs its most defining feature.

The whispers stopped.

"A holocron," Petra whispered to herself. Her father carried something very similar, but that one was triangular. This looked more like one of the Jedi…but _tainted_.

Part of her insisted to leave it be, but her curiosity broke through, and she took it into her hand. She halfway expected to be hit by a painful jolt.

None came.

Dissatisfied, Petra tossed it in her hand, and placed it in the pouch of her belt.

"Souvenir."

* * *

 **Jacen Solo's Apartment, Coruscant**

 **Neutral Zone**

 **30 ABY**

"I'm proud, Jacen," Lumiya said, her hand twitching for her lightwhip. "But I expected this to come much later."

Jacen sat in his recliner, his hands clasped together. "No trap," he insisted. "But you'll want to hear this."

She was admittedly dumbfounded. Sitting on Jacen's living room sofa was Xur Eon, dressed in black Jedi garments and a black, hooded cloak, Revan's mask covering his face. Jacen had reached out to her through the Force, insisting that they needed to talk, and she arrived a day later, the same day that the Revanite Fleet had abandoned their blockade of Corellia.

Lumiya hadn't gone through all the trouble of luring Jacen and convincing him to embrace the dark side, just to have Eon ravage her plan beyond repair. She was willing to kill him, here and now to ensure it persisted.

But something felt different about her old adversary. He radiated an intense feeling of resignation masked by dutiful purpose, not an unrelenting malice to cut her down where she stood, the same malice she had felt on Horizon all those years ago.

Jacen seemed incredibly calm, which could just be a mask for feeling utterly confident that he had successfully caught her in a death trap, or there really was nothing to fear for her.

Her eyes were all that she revealed, and they moved to lock onto Xur, who had risen to his feet.

"I'm not here to kill you," he insisted. "Even if it's what you deserve."

Lumiya's eyes narrowed. "Neither of us deserve to live."

She tried to read his reaction, but he was no longer allowing her to sense him. All she received was the blank stare of his mask.

"True enough," he admitted, his voice laced with a sinister cockiness. "But maybe we can change that notion."

She settled in after Jacen urged her to listen through the Force. "I'm listening."

"We're at a pivotal point in the galaxy," he began. "It must be united if its survival is to be maintained."

Jacen jumped in. "With the rise of insurgents on Corellia, and the aftermath of the Azure Accords, it couldn't be more divided. Only the Sith are capable of bringing it back together to ensure a lasting peace."

Lumiya wasn't impressed. "You haven't told me anything I didn't already know, _boy_."

Xur cut to the chase regardless. "I want to be a part of it."

One of Lumiya's eyebrows raised. Eon was impervious to corruption, which meant he could never become a true Sith. He would constantly be limited by his own emotions, unable to truly break his chains. And yet, the power he wielded was undeniable, his knowledge of the Force second to none and absolutely none.

It was too good to be true.

"You can say what you like, Revanite," she denied, her arms crossed. "But your destiny will always be to destroy us."

Xur shrugged. "Perhaps it is, but you don't have much of a choice in the matter. The Sith mantle is reformed today, and you're either with us or against us."

So, this _was_ a trap, but only lethal if she let it. She turned to Jacen. "Is this how you feel?"

He nodded, and she sensed his mind had been made up, and the confidence he radiated stamped it closed. "It is."

Lumiya peered one last time into Xur's mind. While his defenses were formidable, her methods were much more refined than anything the zabrak had faced in recent years. In her moment of access, she knew he was committed…but not for the reasons he was giving. There was a motive deep beneath the surface, something so terrible he had locked it away for no one to ever see.

It would only reveal itself when the time was right.

Lumiya tipped her head into a slight bow. "I accept."

Jacen rose, and the three new Lords of the Sith joined their hands together.

"Then I, Xur Eon, proclaim that the Sith Triumvirate is reborn tonight, and together, we will unite the galaxy."

The galaxy itself trembled.

* * *

 **Skywalker Apartment, Coruscant**

 **Neutral Zone**

 **30 ABY**

Luke opened the sliding door to his residence for Ahsoka, who greeted him with a smile that masked a deep worry.

"Thank you for agreeing to see me," she said as she entered, Luke shutting the door behind her.

"Of course," he said. "I was hoping you would come by. Mara and I have some caf ready, if you'd like some," he offered, and Ahsoka saw Mara lift a mug from the kitchen.

"I would, thank you," she nodded, crossing her arms. "How are you, Mara?"

The red-haired woman poured another mug and pursed her lips. "I've been better. Ben hasn't been the same since he returned from Lorrd."

"What do you mean?" Ahsoka asked. "Is something wrong with him?"

Mara shrugged as she took a mug in each hand. "I'm not sure. He says he doesn't remember anything, but Nelani, the Jedi that was stationed on Lorrd, died. I'm worried its had an adverse effect on him."

Ahsoka passed on a silent prayer for the lost life of a Jedi as Mara handed her a mug, and led her into the living room, where the three of them each took a seat. Luke settled in next to Mara on the sofa, and Ahsoka alone in the recliner across from them.

"He doesn't know how she died?" Ahsoka asked.

Luke shook his head. "He's not even sure if she _is_ dead. All he has is Jacen's word."

The togruta looked away, her mind traveling elsewhere as yet another strange occurrence was added to her list. When she saw them both staring, she sighed, knowing what their question was going to be.

"I can't feel Xur through our bond anymore," Ahsoka revealed.

Luke paused, remembering the zabrak's odd behavior the other day, and his appointment as the new RSR Director. "What do you mean?"

She leaned forward, her eyes locked on the steam rising from the mug. "I mean, when I send him a nudge, I don't receive one back. He _always_ sends one back. I'm worried it has something to do with his vision."

"You mean the one about Vader and an old enemy, with a dead loved one at his feet?" Luke asked, referring to what she had told him before.

She nodded. "It was soon after he returned from Dromund Kaas, as well."

Ahsoka could no longer deny it, but something was happening to her husband. He had become progressively militant after the conclusion of the Mandalorian War, and even more so during the Unspoken Conflict, so far as to destroying Sernpidal with the Star Forge just to bring an end to the crisis. They had drifted apart after that event, but she never imagined it would hit the point where he would completely cut himself off from her.

She sighed. "Something is happening. I can feel the Dark Side growing stronger."

Luke nodded in agreement. "I've been feeling that as well. I don't like it."

Ahsoka's commlink suddenly pinged, and she slowly pulled it from her belt. There was no hologram, just a message in text. Finally, some good news.

"Telos just sent word. Jaina and Petra are coming home."

* * *

 **RSR Director's Office, Coruscant**

 **Neutral Zone**

 **30 ABY**

Petra marched in, not asking for anyone's permission. No one had questioned her along the way. After all, she was the Director's daughter.

Whatever the hell _that_ meant.

The togruta-zabrak was greeted to an expecting stare from her father, which only enraged her even further.

"Petra, it's good to-," he began.

"Oh, hi Dad! Yeah, I'm fine, thanks for asking," she mocked with a look of disgust on her face. "It was a real close one. Got jumped by two eff-kay units at once and, oh yeah, almost _died_!"

Xur's face hardened. "I was going to-,"

Her hands pounded on the desk as she leaned in. "Your _intel_ was flawed! We were stranded on Corellia, and you did nothing!"

"Don't yell at me," he growled, meeting her intensity with just his eyes. "Back off."

The look he gave her ripped her next words from her mouth, and there was nothing left. Stunned by his quiet ferocity, she backed off from the desk, her eyes unable to free themselves from her father's. He had never been so firm with her, not since they were last both in combat, and never this cold and composed. Her fiery explosions had come straight from him, but this was new.

"Corellia is being dealt with," another voice sounded from the chair beside her, and it was only then that she noticed Jacen Solo in the office with them. "Your father and I were coordinating our counter-attack, as well as my own security force, the Galactic Alliance Guard."

Petra flashed looks at the two sudden strangers before her. "What did I miss? Are you two droids impersonating my father and Jacen Solo?"

"Return to your post, General," Xur ordered. "You'll be called when the time is necessary."

 _My father just called me General. Huh. So that's how it's going to be._

A sadness flooded her at the notion. Her father was her idol; the person she had always dreamed of becoming. He could be strict at times, but she always knew that he loved her with all his heart. In that moment, she realized how much she had taken that for granted, how she had always expected it to remain. Part of her blamed herself for barging in, leaving her father little choice but to treat her as a junior officer instead of his daughter.

No. He'd just scold her and remind her of her place…not edge towards threatening her and call her by her rank.

"Now," he said again, since she had not moved.

She didn't know what to say, and her eyes bolted to spot Jacen paging for security, sending cold rage through her chest. Then, his hand suddenly stopped, and as she waited for him to finish the call, she noticed that _everything_ had stopped around her.

Time had slowed to a halt.

She waved her hand in front of Jacen's face, but no reaction came. It was as if she had been removed from the flow of time, stuck as an observer.

The holocron in her belt pouch glowed red, its power suddenly radiating heat.

" _Petra Eon_ ," an aged, male voice began behind her. " _The prodigal daughter_."

She turned and was greeted to the sight of a white-bearded man, his clothing majestic in white and gold, as if he was some kind of royalty. His body was a transparent light blue, and his eyes glowed the sickly yellow she had seen before.

" _I've been waiting thousands of years for your birth_ ," he said. " _At last. You are here._ "

"Who are you?" she asked. "Are you doing this?"

He tipped his head. " _My power allows us to converse in fractions of a second. The others will not be able to perceive this moment._ "

"You didn't answer my first question," Petra reminded him.

" _I am a part of you now_ ," he revealed. " _Now that you have found this holocron_."

Petra grimaced. "Are you some kind of force ghost or something?"

" _Ghosts are merely echoes, Petra. I am no echo. I do not end_ ," he continued. " _Your father, on the other hand, has reached his end_."

The togruta-zabrak was beginning to grow tired of this man's odd powers and cryptic explanations. "Stop playing games. Tell me what's going on."

He chuckled. " _You will know in time. For now, you may call me Valkorian, and we will be seeing each other very soon_."

Valkorian's form suddenly fizzed from existence, and time gradually recovered back to full speed.

 _Can't wait._

Petra reached out, using a weak wave in the Force to nudge Jacen's hand. "That won't be necessary," she said before he sent the page to security. "I'll see myself out, _Director_."

As she walked out, and the door shut to leave only Xur and Jacen alone. The son of Han Solo gave Xur a stern look.

"She's going to be a problem."

The zabrak pointed his finger sternly at him in warning. "Let me worry about her."

It was time for the Triumvirate to begin.


	8. Into the Unknown

**Chapter 7: Into the Unknown**

 **6 Months Later**

 _"The mass internment of Corellian residents on Coruscant has been spearheaded by RSR Director Xur Eon and Colonel Jacen Solo, the leader of the Galactic Alliance Guard. Thousands of Corellian-born men, women, and children have been forced from their homes, and the number keeps rising. Colonel Solo has cited the recent terrorist bombings as the justification for the movement, but Director Eon has refused to comment. The Jedi Order has publicly condemned the action, making the case clear that Solo is working under his own accord._

 _In other news, Mandalore has pushed forward another request to Prime Minister Jarrut to have their demilitarization lifted, and with Xur Eon no longer seated as Supreme Commander, they may get their wish. We'll have more on this story tonight."_

-Coruscant News Network Report

* * *

 **Galactic Alliance Senate Building, Coruscant**

 **Neutral Zone**

 **31 ABY**

Petra tried not to doze off as she leaned up against the arched entrance to the GA Senate floor, which was just as it was in the days of the Old Republic. The port she was standing near was for Senator Leia Organa Solo, who represented the people of New Alderaan and their small population. Her "pseudo aunt" had taken the floor, her platform hovering in the middle of the hundreds of others situated around.

"The actions of the Galactic Alliance Guard are not only uncalled for, but a violation of GA charter…," Leia continued, her voice booming through the chamber. Petra tuned out once she began to dig into legal lingo, uninterested in the specifics.

She just wanted to know why Jacen was suddenly the head of the secret police.

The Galactic Alliance Guard was forged on his own, which subsequently resulted in the resignation of Supreme Commander Pellaeon after the Corellian-born refused to go through with the interment order. In his place sat the Mon-Cal Admiral Cha Niathal, who had become what appeared to be Jacen's side-kick of sorts.

The togruta-zabrak wasn't particularly bothered by the internment, but the way her father and simultaneously Jacen were acting was beginning to make her feel uneasy. She never forgot the testy encounter she had with them many months ago, and since then it had been all professional interaction. It disillusioned her from her father, so she found herself useful serving as a Revanite General under Commander Vorchenko.

She tried to stay connected with Jaina, who seemed like the only normal person left in the galaxy, but she had returned to serving as an Alliance Pilot. Petra worried that Jacen's behavior had made Jaina want to draw herself inwards, and for _that_ she hated him. As far as she was concerned, Jaina was her sister, and she'd be damned if anyone tried to take her away.

Jag had returned to serving as a Revanite pilot, although somewhat limited. Petra didn't know much about his plans for the future…even if he had some.

Xiso had retreated back to Mandalore, likely to submit his bid to unite the clans, whatever good the Darksaber did for him. She would never admit it, but she quietly wished him the best, even if they parted on somewhat shaky terms. Her hatred for Mandalorians didn't help either, but he expected it anyway.

A gentle hand fell on her shoulder. "Are you alright?" her mother asked, watching the proceedings at her side.

Petra didn't like looking soft, but a part of her melted inside every time she heard her mother's voice. She told herself it was natural, but she couldn't help but feel inclined to suppress it.

"Yeah," she nodded, not looking her way. "I'm fine."

She could sense her mother's concern. "Do you want to talk about your dad?"

Petra scoffed in disgust. "There's nothing to talk about."

She half expected Ahsoka to scold her, but she just rubbed her back and said, "Okay."

Her self-imposed defenses broke in that moment, and she finally looked into her mother's light-blue eyes, her beauty virtually unblemished by age. "I-I'm sorry I've been so cold Mom…all this is just…I don't know how to describe it. I mean…Dad's basically a different person, and Jacen too."

She waited for Ahsoka to comment, but she just continued to listen. "I feel like I need to do something…but I just don't know what."

The togruta frowned and squeezed her shoulder. "We just have to be strong, and ready for the call when the time comes. That's the best we can do."

Her relationship with her mother had always been testy regardless of what was happening around them. Petra's ferocity and subsequent carefree attitude towards the lives of her enemies had pitted them into many shouting matches as she grew up. She always wanted to be just like her father, and any excess advice from Ahsoka was seen as more than she needed.

Yet, Petra had always loved her mother more than anyone in the world. She seemed like the perfect person, always making the people around her happy, despite dire situations…just as she was doing now.

She just let out a heavy sigh. "I guess you're right."

A part of her shivered. She just wanted to get away from everything for at least a moment. There was a common saying however: "Petra Eon would rather swallow bantha dung whole than retreat from a battle". While somewhat true, Petra did not share her father's will to constantly work without a break in the middle, and now certainly felt like the best time.

"Master Eon?" a male voice asked, and Petra's teeth were already grinding together. She looked up to see Jacen dressed in black GAG fatigues, his appearance already looking darker and more foreboding than usual.

She sensed her mother's pique of mistrust, but it was quickly brushed over by a professional adjustment. Her hands fell clasped behind her back and she met him with a slight bow. "Colonel."

"I was hoping I could have a word," he asked, not meeting Petra's ominous stare.

"Of course," she accepted.

Now was the _perfect_ time to take a break.

Petra sent a farewell nod her mother's way, and then shot a warning glance towards Jacen that would freeze a rancor in its tracks, before walking away from them as fast as she could without making it look obvious.

She needed a drink.

* * *

 **Centax 2, Squadron Training Facility**

 **Neutral Zone**

 **31 ABY**

Centax 2 was a sterile moon not far from Coruscant, serving as a bare minimum outpost for Alliance and Revanite pilots to train. Due to the proximity, Jedi squadron leaders found themselves spending their off-time there.

Even Jedi like Luke Skywalker.

His niece, Jaina Solo, briskly walked just in front of him as they entered the station's mess hall, both itching for a meal after their session. Neither of them had removed their orange flight suits.

Luke could feel the unease and misery coming from Jaina, very similar to the feelings he had sensed from Petra the last time he'd seen her. What Jacen had been up to recently was taking its toll, especially with the ramped-up internment of Corellians on Coruscant. They were twins after all, and whatever had made Jacen change so quickly, it was having an adverse effect on Jaina.

Just as she had moved to scoop vegetables onto her plate, the recent headline boomed around the hall, or at least Luke felt it had.

 _Director Xur Eon of the Revanite Security Regiment and Colonel Jacen Solo of the Galactic Alliance Guard have been working in close tandem as they continue to round up Corellian-born citizens on Coruscant. Thousands are attempting to flee Galactic City before they become the next to be collected._

The screen was filled with commando units in riot gear, led by Xur and Jacen in tandem, dressed in black uniforms as they stormed homes in Corellian-heavy districts.

 _We tried to get a statement from Eon's daughter as we caught her outside the Senate building, but she refused to comment._

The video was shown, Petra's annoyed face followed by her hand pushing the camera out of her way. " _Get the hell out of my way, please_ ," the audio caught before it cut out.

Luke heard Jaina steam under her breath. " _Leave her alone_."

He was too busy to follow up. The next image showed his son Ben assisting in the effort, Jacen directing him as he did so. His _son_. Why he continued to let Jacen train him was difficult to explain, but Luke knew his son wouldn't take kindly to being forced away from a teacher he admired. Mara would never allow it anyhow, who seemed to be the only one left who still supported Jacen.

One of the pilots sitting in the mess with his squadmates chuckled. "Good old Xur Eon. Once he knocks down one autocracy, he just starts his own." His comment received some laughs in turn, and Luke refrained from retaliating, as did Jaina.

The captain sitting in the group nodded. "Family tradition, terrorizing the population," he referenced Jacen. "Just like his grandfather. What's next? A black helmet and a bunch of white troopers following him?"

Luke refrained again.

Jaina snapped.

She turned towards the table and unleashed a Force push from her hand, upending the chair and sending the captain tumbling into the back wall. Not finished, she lunged forward, but Luke moved in between in time to stop her from continuing, as the pilots moved to stop their comrade from retaliating.

"He didn't mean it," one of them said. "Sorry, General."

Jaina's eyes widened as sense returned to her, and she realized how stupid that was. No one had respect for a commanding officer who couldn't control her temper.

The captain was hauled to his feet, looking winded. "Go on," one of the officers said. "Apologize to the General. You were out of line."

He looked somewhat reluctant, but he nonetheless did what he was told. "My apologies, General."

"We're all a little tense right now," Jaina eased, more for herself than anyone else. "I should've found a less assertive way to ask you to retract what you said about my family."

The captain suddenly noticed Luke was right behind her. "Sorry, sir…"

"Forget it," Luke insisted. "Jaina, let's take a walk."

Once they exited the mess hall and found a storage area for some privacy, Luke sat on one of the crates.

"I think I'm just going to blurt it out," Luke began.

"Saves time," Jaina agreed.

"I don't know what's happening to Jacen."

"Neither do I, Uncle Luke."

"Try a guess, then."

"I don't know _him_ anymore."

"That's a frightening thing for a twin to say."

"He's much darker now…I don't know why. He shuts me out. He _never_ shuts me out. Petra thinks it's her father."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "And what do _you_ think?"

She shook her head. "It's too obvious."

"I agree. He never liked Jacen much anyway. He always preferred you."

It was true, after all. Jaina had fought in the Mandalorian War from start to finish with her Master, Ahsoka, which had always given her major points with him.

"I don't know," Jaina shrugged. "Whatever it is, I can't trust him anymore."

It was the truth he didn't want to hear because it broke his heart, but it was true nonetheless. Jacen's behavior was becoming too erratic to be ignored, and his actions weren't looking good for the Jedi.

And his _son_ was right in the middle of it.

 _You're not fooling me Jacen, like you have everyone else. You're turning to the dark side._

"I know this is none of my business, Uncle, but I think you should find Ben a new teacher," Jaina suggested.

"Yeah, I think you're right."

* * *

 **Dark Star Lounge, Coruscant**

 **Neutral Zone**

 **31 ABY**

Petra stepped into the club in a collared black jacket and combat pants, her lightsabers hanging in plain view on her belt. The Dark Star was at its normal crowd levels just after rush hour, the Coruscant sun already covered by the high rises around it. Patrons sitting at tables with friends or otherwise took notice that she was a force-wielder, but to them it was nothing new on Coruscant, especially from a club so close to the Jedi Temple. A few knights and masters frequented it on a regular basis.

There were Jedi sitting at tables, but none she recognized. She didn't care. She didn't come here to socialize anyway, just to get a drink and forget about her troubles for at least a few hours. "Taking the edge off" as her father always justified the practice to her mother. She grimaced as her father found a way into her mind, shoving him back into the dark corner again.

Settling into a seat between a blonde woman and a rather lavishly-dressed man at the bar, she called for the bartender, who was a droid on one wheel. "Bespin Brew on the rocks, please."

The droid was quick, using multiple arms to put her drink together, and within 5 seconds, she had a tan beverage sitting in front of her, the droid already moving on to the next customer. Bespin Brew had always been her favorite, designed by one of her old caretakers Lando Calrissian, who sometimes had served as her babysitter when her father and mother would have to be away for a time. The man had forged her into quite the sabacc player, even if her skills were a bit rusty nowadays.

With a drink in front of her, Petra began to probe around the bar, looking to see if anything interesting was happening. Fights were always fun to watch, and sometimes be a part of, so she always looked for brewing conflicts first. Second, she would usually look for attractive men in her vicinity, but she decided to forgo that step this time around. If both of those failed, she stopped using her eyes and stretched out her senses.

She instantly got a ping, but it was from the woman right next to her, whose curly blond hair covered her face as she sat hunched over in a green wardrobe very similar to the one she was wearing.

The togruta-zabrak gave her a nudge on the shoulder. "Tee, put your damn shoes on!"

The young woman rustled with confusion until eventually her green eyes locked on Petra, a look of instant recognition occupying her face.

Tahiri Veila sluggishly smiled at her old friend. "Oh, hi Petra."

Petra expected a much warmer welcome in all honesty. While she was definitely closer to Jaina, she had always considered her to be a sister, not so much a friend. Tahiri had been one of the only Jedi who never trembled in fear at her presence, which amounted in the two of them becoming very close friends after the conclusion of the Mandalorian War. They had been through many trying times together, especially within the last few years.

"Trying to escape?" Petra asked, albeit feeling a bit concerned with how she looked. Her face looked flushed and drained, taking from her usual unequal beauty.

Tahiri shrugged, using her arm to prop up her head over the bar. "Something like that," she struggled to wrap her tongue around some of the letters, and Petra grimaced.

"Tee, if you're not ok, please tell me," Petra urged, referring to her pet name. She glanced away, and then dared to ask. "You're not thinking about _him_ again are you?"

Tahiri let out a weak laugh. "It's funny, isn't it? We can't even call him by his name. After all he did for this galaxy…he's just _forgotten_."

Petra leaned in, trying to comfort her by rubbing her back. "He'll never be forgotten, Tee, just remembered in a different way."

The man they were referring to was Anakin Solo, the third child of Han and Leia Solo that had given his life to bring an end to the Unspoken Conflict. After a unanimous decision by the Galactic Alliance and Order of Revan to cover up the horrific battles that had taken place in the northern sector of the galaxy, Anakin had been officially noted for dying in the Sernpidal Mining Disaster trying to rescue civilians. Neither of them could ever speak of what really happened in public, and even in private it was cautioned heavily.

Tahiri and Anakin had been as close as a pair could get when he had died, and since she had never been the same. Her happy demeanor had been completely abandoned, which saddened Petra as she had relied on it in the past at times.

Petra tried to think of what to say, but she wasn't any good with feelings or words. Usually she just relied on constant embraces and Force-calming techniques, but she admittedly didn't like to force people to be happy. Sometimes it was necessary for one to just wade through their sadness until they reached the other side.

Tahiri leaned into her friend, a gesture that was likely hastened due to the amount of alcohol she had consumed. "I wish I could just _move on_ but…"

"It takes time," Petra finished for her. "No one said you had to be over it overnight."

She sniffled, but no tears came to Petra's relief. "I'm happy you're my friend, Petra," she said, before hugging her with both arms.

The togruta-zabrak grimaced with the tightness of her embrace. "Alright…looks like someone's had too much to drink."

Petra's senses suddenly piqued, but she didn't feel any danger. Men dressed in black riot gear entered the lounge, each with a blaster rifle in hand. Patrons near them stopped what they were doing and stared for a moment until they passed by, then returning to conversation. Eventually, the men seemed to find who they were looking for, and commotion suddenly exploded as their target struggled to escape from their grip.

As people stared in confusion, one of the men said, "RSR business. Return to your drinks." No one rose to protest, and Petra knew better than to leave Tahiri alone, or test her father's willingness to put up with her.

Once they were gone, Petra turned to Tahiri, who was still hugging her. "How about we head home?"

"Sure! I'm driving," Tahiri replied.

"Absolutely not."

* * *

 **RSR Director's Office, Coruscant**

 **Neutral Zone**

 **31 ABY**

Darth Imperius was having a great day.

Xur Eon was having the worst day of his life.

Only last night had Imperius been born, right after Xur had abducted his first Corellian victim. Unable to scourge the name that had toppled the Empire, he had abandoned it completely, and as far as he was concerned, Xur was gone.

It was easy to start, he noticed, as he could just choose to become the worst being in the galaxy with the snap of his fingers. Jacen had a much more difficult time, as it would take months for the corruption to spread through his essence and make him a Sith, but it was what happened after. Since Xur could not be corrupted, he would never truly become someone else, like Vader had. Imperius was just there to make the burden easier.

Xur screamed inside that this was madness, that he should just slaughter Jacen and Lumiya and be done with it, but he couldn't. There were things in the Force that only a Sith could learn, and while Imperius wasn't sure he'd be able to wield them, he had to try.

Trillions of lives depended on it.

Xur longed to see his daughter again, to lead her in battle against invincible enemies just as they had before. His wife had become estranged with him, and he had cried many nights to sleep over the past few months because of it. The price he had to pay was far higher than he ever imagined it would be.

Imperius pressed on.

Keeping the high-ranking members of the Order of Revan was relatively easy, since Xur Eon held such an influence over it. Vorchenko's undying respect was easy for Imperius to lean on, but he knew better than to stretch it out. Actions against the Jedi Order would never pass through her office without a veto or objection, and whether he liked it or not, she was his new boss.

But Imperius needed the Jedi. He needed them to maintain order while he consolidated his power, and once the galaxy was united, he would be able to save it from certain doom.

While the others would object, Imperius was the head of the Triumvirate. There was not a doubt in his mind, and he needed to keep it that way. Jacen has proven adept at manipulation, something Lumiya was looking to improve. They were allies, but he needed to keep an eye on them and be sure to assert his dominance when necessary.

 _Keep your friends close, but your enemies even closer._

As of now, Jacen had taken his newly assembled Star Destroyer, christened the _Anakin Solo_ , and the Alliance Fifth Fleet to the Hapes Consortium to not only deal with a rebel uprising against the sitting queen, but to also ensure the alliance was secure. The name of his ship dangled on the edge of violating the Unspoken Conflict clause of the Azure Accords, but since Anakin Solo was confirmed dead, the name wouldn't reveal anything the public wasn't meant to know.

Xur Eon had been Anakin's master, although reluctantly, and the young Solo was on his way to becoming the most powerful Jedi in the Order, gaining praise from the highest of sources. Tragically, he was killed on a mission Xur was sure he was prepared for, and it broke the senior warrior. He felt as if he had lost a son; a pain so unbearable he couldn't describe.

 _Leia trusted me with her son…and I failed._

Xur Eon had failed. Darth Imperius would not.

He sensed the presence he was waiting for outside his door, and said, "It's open."

Commander Vorchenko entered the room in her white and gold uniform, the purple and gold insignia for her rank pinned over her left breast. She was 75 years old now, and it was beginning to show on her face, but not much in her walk. Imperius remembered how much she had devoted to an active lifestyle, never shying away from serving as a marine when necessary.

Only she, himself, and Ahsoka were the last remnants of the old Republic.

"Director," she greeted with a stoic expression, shutting the door behind her. "We need to talk."

Imperius didn't remove his mask. He rarely did nowadays. "Ask away."

Vorchenko took a seat across from him and set her trademark datapad on his desk, and then activated a display of a magazine cover, reading: _A NEW EMPIRE?_ Below, there was an image of Xur and Jacen looking out with their arms crossed, and below that read: _How Director Xur Eon and Colonel Jacen Solo are reshaping Coruscant._

"This isn't exactly what I had in mind when I created this division," she said. Imperius sensed a deep wariness covered by her immense trust in Xur Eon, and she was trying to hide it as best she could. "This isn't even your standard way of doing things."

Imperius shrugged. "Curbing terrorism requires drastic measures."

She tipped her head. "Yes, _that_ is true. However, indefinite internment sounds like something our old friend Tarkin would enforce, not Xur Eon, the sword that slew Palpatine and his tyranny."

"Poetic," Imperius smiled behind his mask. "And not untrue. In all honestly, internment came from Colonel Solo. I'm doing my level best to keep him in line."

"But not stopping him?" Vorchenko raised an eyebrow.

"No."

"Why?"

"RSR business cannot be-,"

"I'm the Supreme Commander of the Order of Revan. _Everything_ within these borders is my _business_ ," Vorchenko leaned forward, visibly frustrated, albeit expertly suppressing it. "And whether you like it or not, you answer to me, _Director_."

Imperius tipped his head in concession. "That I do."

"Very good," she said, leaning back in her chair. "As of now the RSR will have no hand in further internment. I'm sure you can understand why."

Imperius shrugged. Internment was never his idea, nor did he see it as an effective way of suppressing Corellian hostility. "As you say, Commander, but we cannot simply leave Corellia be."

Vorchenko narrowed her eyes. "I'm listening."

"I say we reinstate our blockade, backed by the Alliance, of course."

"And how would you manage that?"

"I'm sure Colonel Solo and I could come to an arrangement."

Imperius sensed another pique of mistrust. She didn't like dealing with Jacen, and she had made that brutally obvious with the way she regarded him. As long as Xur Eon had known her, she was never one to trust those with erratic behavior and great power.

She slightly nodded. "Put it together and get it to my desk, then I'll consider it."

Imperius leaned back in his chair. "I will. Is there anything else, Commander?"

"Just one more thing," she said, closing her datapad and rising to her feet. Before he realized it, she slipped a holdout blaster from her sleeve and pointed it from the hip. Imperius sat, unmoving, wondering how he had never sensed the danger before it came. "Who are you, really?"

"Commander-," he began, and then she pointed the gun directly at his head, revealing the FK-tech bracelet on her wrist. Its field would hide anything from the Force within.

"Remove your mask," she ordered. "And tell me where you took him."

 _This is the price._

"Reyna," Imperius eased. "It's me."

Her stoic eyes flinched for a moment, and he knew he hit where he needed. No one ever called her by her first name, not even Pellaeon. Only Xur Eon had ever had that pleasure.

She eased the blaster back to her hip. "I understand to a _degree_ what is going on. You're changing…and it frightens me. Master Tano thinks it was Dromund Kaas. I think it was something else. You _saw_ something."

Imperius bowed his head. Vorchenko was second to none in reading people, and he should've known she'd be the first to decode him.

Xur returned for a moment. "I did. I have to do what I'm doing, or every living being in this galaxy will pay the price."

Her blue-violet eyes were reading his every move, every bit of his posture, searching for anything that could discredit his claim. "I'm going to need more than that."

The zabrak used the Force to influence the clip around his left ear, and his mask was removed from his face. Vorchenko flinched again but did not drop her blaster.

"Now, more than ever," he said. "I need you to trust me."

Her hand was shaking with indecision, and he felt it. "I'd follow Xur Eon to my grave…but I need to know why. I don't like blindly accepting this."

Xur sighed. "I _can't_ tell you, or anyone, or it will jeopardize everything. All I ask for is your trust, and I promise you won't regret it."

She flinched for the last time, and then dropped her arm to dangle at her side. "For the Order."

Xur tipped his head as Imperius returned. "For the Order."

Vorchenko hesitated, but eventually turned for the door, and before exiting she said, "I plan on lifting the demilitarization of Mandalore within one standard week," she opened the sliding door. "Just thought I'd inform you."

The door shut and Imperius was alone again.


	9. The Raging Tempest

**Chapter 8: The Raging Tempest**

 _I know I haven't made one of these in a while, not for three sum-odd years in fact, but I just need to get a few things off my chest, while keeping it to myself._

 _Tahiri is scaring me. I feel responsible, kind of like how I feel about Jacen right now. Did I miss something? Was it because I had killed so many during the Mandalorian War, lost in the anger of war…did I fail to recognize the influence I was having on those close to me? Did Jacen begin to turn dark because of the example I displayed? Is Tahiri drowning in misery because I wasn't there for her when Anakin died?_

 _I dare to remember that moment 10 years ago…the day Jacen and I kissed. It seemed so harmless; just a friendly gesture between ourselves. It wasn't even really love…for him anyway. Did it permanently link us together? Did my darkness slowly consume him?_

 _I still love him. As a brother, or more than that…I'm not quite sure. Jaina does too, even if she refuses to admit it, and that means I must try to make it right._

 _My father…is another matter. He's shut himself off from Mom as well as me…and I have no idea why. He's hiding something. I know it._

 _Maybe I'll ask Valkorian about it when he shows his washed-up face to me again._

 _-End Log-_

-Mission Log of General Petra Eon, locked to incognito mode

* * *

 **Royal Palace, Hapes**

 **Galactic Alliance**

 **31 ABY**

Jacen had learned to cope with fear over his lifetime. As a Jedi, it was his duty to see past it; to control it to the point that it no longer could grab ahold of him. There was nothing that Luke had stressed more when he trained him, and Jacen took pride in saying that he was fearless on the battlefield.

When Lumiya said the word _sacrifice_ , Jacen shivered with fear so violently it was a wonder his two Sith companions hadn't noticed it. Force techniques that Jacen had mastered made it possible to keep his most cherished secret from them.

Lumiya had said that for him to complete his ascension into the Sith mantle, he would have to sacrifice that which he loves most. Xur had said nothing of the sort, but the fool knew nothing about being a Sith, even if he had recently began calling himself Darth Imperius to hide the immense guilt that he didn't want the galaxy to recognize within him.

He couldn't wait to be rid of him, and with him gone, his family would be safe…but something about his vision troubled him. Xur was only one of those destined to eradicate the Sith to maintain balance…Petra Eon was the other. She could not be corrupted, like her father, and her blood lineage was far more potent than that of her father's. She had been trained to kill Sith with such savagery Emperor Palpatine would be appalled…and it only made him wonder if Petra was the true threat to his family.

 _That_ broke his heart. Xur's time had come and gone, but Petra was dear to him, and he felt a piece of him chip away each time she glared his way at the mere sight of him. He wanted her to join him; to help him reshape the galaxy into their own image, one that was held together with unmatched safety and peace.

But she'd never join a Sith. She would sooner kill him than join him, and it was _that_ savagery that terrified him.

"Uncle Jacen?" a young, sweet voice asked. "Is something wrong?"

Jacen's attention flashed back into reality, and he smiled down at the young female toddler sitting in his lap. "No. Everything's fine, Allana."

She beamed back to him. "Ok."

It wasn't his expression that had revealed his feelings to her, but her sensitivity to the Force. In his lap sat his daughter, the secret child he had with Queen Mother Tenel-Ka of the Hapes Consortium, and former Jedi during the Mandalorian War. She was the love of his life, just as well as his daughter.

The reason he had to reshape the galaxy into his image. Free of war. Free of suffering.

Free of Xur Eon.

Almost on cue, his comm-link began to beep, and he knew who it was. Begrudgingly, he lifted Allana off his lap and onto the floor, so she could stand. "That's work, sweetheart."

" _Awwww_ ," she pouted.

Jacen couldn't suppress a smile. "I'll be back in a minute, don't worry."

She still gave him a childishly disappointed look his entire path to the restroom. Once the door was shut, he shut the lights and force-flashed any cameras just to be safe. The Insurgents could have listening devices planted anywhere.

He activated the connection, and the holographic image of the masked Darth Imperius appeared, his arms crossed.

" _How goes the negotiations?_ " he asked.

"The Consortium is firmly allied with the Alliance," Jacen reported. "We'll have the Home Fleet backing our assault on Corellia within the week."

" _Excellent_ ," Imperius nodded. " _Commander Vorchenko and I have decided that a second blockade of Corellia would be in our best interest. We're hoping for your support, as well as Admiral Niathal's_."

Jacen grimaced from his lack of vision. "We should just invade Corellia and be done with it."

" _Don't be stupid, Colonel_ ," Imperius pointed his finger sternly. " _We need the support of the galaxy. They need to look like non-negotiable barbarians, and if we attack first, everything will be lost._ "

Jacen _despised_ his caution, but he needed the support of the Revanite Fleet, and he knew better than to expect Commander Vorchenko to ever allow a unilateral invasion.

 _Another cog in the wheel._

He tipped his head. "The Alliance Guard will support you."

" _Good. I am sure you will be able to inform our other associate of our plans. Imperius out_ ," he finished, and then cut the transmission before Jacen could say another word.

Imperious. What a pretender. One day he decides to ascend to the mantle of Sith, and the next he's already calling himself one. It disgusted him, as well as Lumiya.

He couldn't wait to rid the galaxy of him.

His commlink reactivated as he keyed in a transmission to the _Anakin Solo_. "Wheels up in 1 hour, Ben. We're heading to Corellia."

* * *

 **Coronet City, Corellia**

 **CIS, Galactic Alliance (Contested Space)**

 **31 ABY**

It was safe to say that Han Solo hated dealing with his cousin, Thrackan Sal-Solo, but Corellia was his home. Years ago, under the fist of the Empire, he lived in the industrial depths, scavenging through scrap for priceless pieces of machinery just to make a living. He hated it then, and wanted nothing more than to escape, but seeing it under attack put things in perspective. While he never considered himself a nationalist, he'd be damned if he let anyone abuse his world.

And that was why he and his wife, Leia Organa-Solo, were sitting with the Chief of State of Corellia…committing what their son will see as treason against the Galactic Alliance.

Han was disgusted by his son's internment policy, and he could never lie to his wife and say he was content with it. His son was slowly becoming a stranger, and he had no idea why. He felt the blame needed to be placed squarely on his shoulders, but he couldn't possibly fathom what he could've done to insight such hate inside his only remaining son.

Which was why they had to make this right.

"Interesting to see you two here," Thrackan said, laid back in his administrative chair, the window behind him supplying them with a view of Coronet City. "Given our… _family_ history."

"Don't make this harder than it already is," Han warned. "I could still kill you now. After all, you _did_ try to murder my daughter."

Leia grabbed ahold of his wrist. "What my husband is _trying_ to say is that we don't have much time. We believe that Colonel Jacen Solo will be launching an attack on Corellia in the next week or so. Maybe days."

Thrackan shrugged. "This isn't exactly news for me. Each day we could be attacked. It's been that way since your Jedi launched that covert operation, which I believe was engineered to have me assassinated."

 _If only it had worked_ , Han thought.

"You don't understand," Leia insisted. "There won't be a _covert_ op this time. Colonel Solo is looking to make an example out of you, and if you're not ready to defend yourself, he will."

"You think so?" Thrackan raised an eyebrow.

"We _know_ so," Han answered. "The Revanite Fleet will be backing him up. Listen, if you want Corellian independence, I'm all for it, but we're going to lose a lot of people."

"I think we're going to lose people regardless. Enough about what you brought for me. What do you _want_ from me?" Thrackan asked.

Leia and Han both looked at each other before she said:

"We want to join you in the defense of Corellia."

* * *

 **Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

 **Neutral Zone**

 **31 ABY**

Jaina rose her saber into a defensive parry, and the opposing blade clashed before slashing again, Jaina easily compensating and counterattacking with a flurry of strikes, forcing her opponent to backpedal defensively. Their superior height saved them from losing the exchange, holding her back just enough to prevent the killing mark. Once her flurry had ran its course, they slashed downwards, only to be caught at the elbow and rolled onto the floor, her violet saber pointing at their neck for victory.

"You over-committed again," she noted, offering a hand. "Not that I don't blame you, Zekk."

The large, black haired human grimaced as he took her hand, hoisting him back to his feet. "Should've known better."

Clapping came from the other end of the training room in the Jedi Temple, and Jaina and Zekk both looked to see Petra lying on her back where she had been watching the duel. "So close," she said, with a hint of mockery. " _So close_."

Jaina rolled her eyes and began to pull Zekk away for another round. "Don't listen to her. She's just got a lot on her mind."

Zekk looked skeptical. "That's the what… _sixth_ time she's made some smart-ass comment after you've taken me down? Sorry if I don't buy it."

They both engaged again, with the same result.

"I think you're taking this Sword of the Jedi thing too seriously," Zekk groaned as he picked himself up.

"How could I? I don't even know what it means. Uncle Luke isn't sure why he said it. Maybe it was the Force speaking to him," she replied.

"Or _maybe_ he was just trying to play nice with Dad since you were the only Jedi with any balls back then," Petra snorted, still lying on her back.

Jaina deactivated her lightsaber and shrugged with a look of disgust on her face. "What's wrong with you? Why are you being like this?"

Petra shrugged. " _Oh_ , I don't know. Yesterday I dragged my best friend out of a bar so drunk she couldn't remember where her quarters were," she numbered off with her fingers. "My dad only refers to me as 'General Eon' or 'Ma'am', and Jacen is acting like the biggest douchebag in the galaxy. Other than that, I'm doing _fantastic_."

"Fair enough, but that's no excuse for you to insult everybody," Jaina retorted.

"Sure thing, _Mom_. Like I don't have enough of _those_ these days."

Jaina tried not to take the bait, but Petra's constant pestering finally made her snap. " _You know what_ , you're starting to get on my nerves."

"Boo-hoo."

Zekk tried to step in between as Jaina marched towards her. " _Ladies_ , I think we should-."

"You never change!" Jaina shouted, pushing past Zekk to look over Petra who was still smugly lying on the ground. "Every time you're upset you just attack everyone else like some spoiled princess!"

Petra lost her smugness and rocketed to her feet, and they both leaned into each other's faces. "Says the daughter _of_ a princess and a scumbag smuggler!"

There was a moment of silence as Zekk tried to hold back two capital starships traveling at maximum speed.

"Say that again," Jaina dared.

Zekk urged to Petra. "Don't-,"

"Your father is a _scumb_ -,"

Before she finished, she was thrown across the training room as Jaina thrusted her arm forward, smacking into the wall with a loud, metallic, _clang_.

Zekk grabbed ahold of Jaina before she continued, who was fuming. "Stop!"

When it looked like Jaina felt some sort of regret, a wave rolled back, and they both tumbled backwards. Zekk suffered the worst, as he was unable to put up a defense in time to lessen the blow, smacking into the metal floor hard enough to leave him motionless. Jaina was prepared, and a force barrier softened the blow enough for her to roll backwards as she impacted the floor. Already looking up, Petra sprang after her, and the two rolled along the floor clawing at each other, fuming from every pore of their skin.

Jaina used both feet to kick Petra away, and with distance, they prepared to engage again, probing for the next force-based attack.

When it came, however, they were both pinned against the wall by an impossible strength.

"Are you two _serious_?!"

Jaina's eyes widened.

Luke.

Petra struggled to escape, her eyes staring death at Luke Skywalker, who held them both down while Mara Jade knelt beside Zekk, who was struggling to rise. When she couldn't escape from his unbreakable grip, her flight-or-fight instinct kicked in, and that's when time slowed to a halt again.

" _I can give you my power_ ," Valkorian appeared in her vision. " _He will be no match for you_."

Petra didn't care. She just wanted to be free.

"Give it to me!" she growled, and her eyes burned a sickly yellow.

Valkorian sneered and disappeared, and once time flowed back to normal, she felt raw, untamed power flow into her body. " _Let me go_!" she shouted, and purple Force Lightning poured from her fingers directly at Luke, who had to draw his emerald saber to deflect it away.

Jaina and Petra both dropped. Jaina stayed put. Petra sprang with both lightsabers ignited.

Her jump left behind a shockwave that tossed Mara, Jaina, and Zekk aside as she collided into Luke in a fraction of a second, winding him and knocking his saber from his hand. They landed in the hall outside the training room, and a well-timed roll barely saved Luke's life as Petra buried her blades into the floor. He gestured, and his hilt was back in his hand in time to engage in a saber lock.

" _Don't_!" Petra swung, only to see it deflected. " _Ever_!"

"Petra!" Luke shouted.

" _Grab_!" she continued, pure rage boiling in her eyes. " _Me_!"

The force of her swings was completely unnatural, and they were enough to drive Luke to the ground. " _Again_!" she screamed, rising for the killing blow.

A shock ripped through her spine from behind, and a metal object smacked into the back of her head before her vision went black.

* * *

Ahsoka looked through the glass into the patient room where her daughter lay, her arms and legs tied to the bed for insurance. The togruta had felt her daughter's rage from the other side of the Temple and arrived just in time to look at the horrifying image of Petra about to murder Luke Skywalker.

She tried to keep tears from her eyes as the image kept reappearing in her head, and how she had to force stun and knock out her own daughter with her lightsaber hilt. It was an experience she wasn't sure she'd be able to go through again.

"I know you don't want to hear this," Luke said, who was standing beside her. "But I'm not sure I'll be able to allow her into the Temple for the time being."

"That's fine," Ahsoka said, lying. Hearing that broke her heart, and she only looked elsewhere for a place to put her hurt…and Xur was at the top of the list. With everything her daughter had been dealing with over the last several months, it's possible she had just finally snapped…but trying to murder Luke made this far direr. "You said she seemed like a different person?"

"More like _was_ ," Luke corrected. "Her voice was altered slightly, and I've never experienced such raw power in lightsaber swings. Not even my father. The lightning she used was a deep, incinerating purple; it could've disintegrated me on contact if I hadn't blocked it."

Ahsoka shook her head. "I'm so sorry Luke."

"There's nothing to be sorry about," he soothed. "We just need to find out what's wrong with her," he flicked his head towards the blond woman sitting at Petra's bedside. "I asked Tahiri to come by, so she'll be greeted to a friendly face."

The togruta groaned. "Maybe _that's_ the issue. How many friendly faces does she have left?"

Luke grimaced. "Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like very many. Jaina might as well be in shock. She hasn't left her quarters and is holding herself entirely responsible."

"And Zekk?"

"Concussion from his impact with the floor. He'll be fine."

"Good."

As soon as they finished their conversation, the medical droid exited the room, its luminous eyes locking on Ahsoka. "Patient is stable, and in perfect health."

"Perfect health?" Ahsoka asked, dubious. "Something _has_ to be wrong with her."

"We tried many brain scans and neural analyses, but all came up negative for anomalies. The issue you may be looking for is likely Force-related," the droid relayed.

Luke slightly bowed his head. "Then you've done all you can. Thank you."

"Of course, Master Jedi," the droid said before wandering out of the viewing room.

Luke shivered once they were alone again. "With how powerful in the Force she is, a Force-related anomaly could be catastrophic."

Ahsoka's eyes panned downwards. "What do you suggest we do?"

Luke sighed. "She can't leave the Temple, not while we don't know what's going on. If she snaps again, innocent lives could be at risk. _A lot_ of innocent lives."

"So, what we…lock her in a pen like an-," Ahsoka retorted, but quickly regretted it afterwards. "Sorry," she apologized before Luke could respond. "She's just…she's just my daughter, that's all."

"I know, Ahsoka," Luke acknowledged, gripping her shoulder softly. "I don't like this any more than you, but I have to make a decision as the Grand Master."

She sighed and surrendered. "Of course."

Luke's commlink pinged, breaking a moment of silence. After a look, he nodded. "The _Anakin Solo_ is on the move from Hapes."

Ahsoka raised her brow. "You had Jacen tagged?"

"No, well, not _him_. Ben," Luke revealed. "It was a compromise between Mara and I, since we don't agree on whether Jacen should continue teaching him."

The togruta raised a finger. "Be careful, Luke. If he finds out, he'll start losing his trust in you. Xur found that out the hard way."

"Noted," Luke acknowledged. "I'm assembling the Council."

Ahsoka nodded. "I'll catch up."

With a solemn nod, Luke left Ahsoka alone. She couldn't help but realize that with each passing day, her family was falling apart, and she had done nothing to stop it thus far.

It was time to face her husband.

* * *

As soon as Ahsoka left the viewing area, Petra's eyes fluttered open, and when she tried to raise her hand to block the sudden influx of light into her eyes, she felt it stuck. Instinctively, she tried to pull herself free in a moment of panic, but to no avail.

"Petra, Petra!" someone shouted, and she felt two firm hands on her shoulders. "It's me, you're safe."

Petra relaxed for a moment at the sound of a familiar voice, and when her vision finally focused, she saw Tahiri's face. "Tee? Wh-what's happening? Why am I-,"

" _Shh_ ," she hushed. "Relax. You're at the Jedi Temple. Do you remember anything?"

The togruta-zabrak shook her head as nothing immediate came to mind. "Not really…hey, can you untie me, please?"

"Think _harder_ than that," Tahiri urged, and Petra met her emerald gaze. Her friend looked slightly better than when she had found her in the bar the other night, but her face was still stricken from lack of sleep. The makeup on her face was roughly applied, but not enough to notice much of a difference from a distance.

"Are you okay?" Petra asked.

Tahiri grimaced. "Don't think about me right now. I need you to remember. Think about Jaina…what happened with Jaina?"

She focused for a moment, but only to hasten the process of untying her bonds. "Jaina? Well…we were in the training room, and…," the realization hit her like a wave. " _Oh no_ , Jaina, I'm so sorry."

"You two got into a fight," Tahiri retraced for her. "Do you remember why?"

Petra grimaced. "It was so stupid. We were just arguing about my attitude, and then we started fighting…and then Val-," she bit her tongue, and Tahiri waited for her to continue, until a look of desperation ripped across her face. "I need to get out of here, Tee."

"You can't, Petra," Tahiri urged. "Not until they find out what's wrong with you."

"There's _nothing_ wrong with me!" Petra shouted, leaning forward, making Tahiri jump backwards, and quickly regretted it. "Sorry…I mean…I already _know_ what the problem is."

"You do?" she asked. "How?"

"It's a long story, but the only way to fix it is if I get out of here."

"You _can't_ leave. You tried to kill _Luke Skywalker_!"

"I remember!" Petra shouted again. "That's why I need to figure this out! But we're not going to be able to solve this on Coruscant. Please, Tee, I need your help."

"I-I," Tahiri stammered, admittedly considering it. "I can't help you escape! They'd revoke my knighthood if I disobeyed a direct order from the Grand Master."

"Then come with me," Petra offered. "You hate it here anyway."

Tahiri looked away, and Petra knew she had spoken the truth. She hadn't been the same person since Anakin had died, and it had only disillusioned her from the Jedi as a whole.

She crossed her arms. "Say I help you. Where would we go?"

Petra again tried to reach for something but was stopped by the bonds. "My belt…there's a holocron," she pointed. "It's the source of all this. Once I find out how to open it, it'll tell us where we need to go. My dad did it when he was fighting the Empire."

Tahiri shuffled her feet with indecision, and Petra reeked even more of desperation.

"Please don't make me beg, Tahiri," she urged.

The desperation in her voice finally shown through, and Tahiri began undoing the bonds around her wrists. "I'm going to regret this," she said, shaking her head.

Once her arm was free, Petra grabbed ahold of Tahiri's wrist. "No…you won't."

"Whatever you say."

* * *

 _ **Anakin Solo**_ **, En Route to Coruscant**

 **Hyperspace**

 **31 ABY**

Ben Skywalker was a 14-year-old soldier. The word Jedi felt like a falsehood, or not sufficient enough to truly describe his responsibilities. After a year serving alongside his cousin Jacen and the Galactic Alliance Guard, he had made many friends, as well as enemies along the way. He learned how to read intelligence, interpret the actions of terrorists, bust down doors, and lock up the bad guys.

Most of all, he had learned how to become an adult.

He hadn't spoken to his father in weeks, not after he had insisted that he send him back to Academy instead of remaining with GAG. The disagreement was tearing not only himself, but also his mother from his father. He loved them, he truly did, but he was doing good work now. He was saving lives, cleaning the streets of Coruscant of those who wished to destroy them.

Now they would strike at the heart of their enemy.

He paced through the halls of the _Anakin Solo_ , dressed in black GAG fatigues, passing by many fellow soldiers along the way. Each of them greeted him with respect, as did he, and he couldn't help but get a small smile on his face. Here, everyone treated him as an adult, an _equal_.

When Luke reappeared in his mind to spoil the euphoric feeling, he shut himself off, hiding his presence in the Force just as Jacen had taught him. He cursed to himself for his unnecessary reaction, but figured he'd test his ability on Jacen himself. That ought to impress him.

As he approached Jacen's quarters, he began to hear the voice of an unfamiliar woman speaking to Jacen over transmission. When he listened closer however, something broken jarred in his memory, and he couldn't stop himself from listening closer.

Jacen grumbled with his arms crossed, the hologram of Lumiya staring him down with unsettling eyes. "He needs to die."

" _Patience_ ," she eased. " _Your time will come. We need his influence for now. Besides, he's far too powerful for you now, and I'm not wasting my student because he's simply annoyed with our companion._ "

Jacen snorted. "He's an old man _._ "

" _And I an old woman. Do you think it slows me down?_ " Lumiya asked, and Jacen paused, looking away.

"You overplayed your hand revealing yourself to Luke. Now he _knows_ you're involved somehow," he warned. "I don't see how this possibly helps us."

A few months ago, Jacen had sent Ben on a mission to Ziost to retrieve an ancient Sith artifact. Against his wishes, Lumiya had ordered an air strike on his position, posed as a fleet of pirates. Jacen figured it was because she didn't think Ben was fit to become his Sith apprentice, but in the end, Lumiya had intentionally revealed herself in the Force to Luke, showing him that she could get to her son whenever she pleased.

The action had only inspired Mara to begin a manhunt to find Lumiya, and so far, she had avoided her.

For now.

" _It's not supposed to help_ us _. It's supposed to help_ you," she revealed, leaning forward in the hologram. " _If Luke maintains his focus on me, he won't consider that his nephew is becoming a Sith until it's too late_."

Jacen figured that was a reasonable use, but why she would do so baffled him.

"Interesting cover story. I figure you have your reasons," he scoffed.

" _The same reason why you mind-rubbed Ben about Nelani_."

"I had to. He'd never understand anyway."

" _He's wasting your time. He could never be your apprentice. Get rid of him. Find someone more suitable_."

Jacen grimaced internally. He was afraid that he would have to sacrifice Ben to become a true Sith, but his new perspective preferred it over murdering his secret lover and daughter, Tenel-Ka and Allana.

"I have some ideas on that," Jacen pointed his finger.

" _I can't help you there, regardless. Whoever it turns out to be, that's the Force's decision. You'll know soon enough_."

Jacen rolled his eyes. "Thanks. Any more enlightening advice you'd like to offer me?"

" _When are you moving in on Omas?_ "

"Soon. As soon as Niathal is on board, we'll declare ourselves Joint Chiefs of State. That way the GA won't be able to get in our way," Jacen relayed. "We have evidence of Omas conspiring with Sal-Solo. Once I have my amendment passed, it will be completely legal."

" _Good. Play nicely with Niathal. You need the backing of the military_."

"You're such a strategist, Lumiya," Jacen half-mocked.

Lumiya glared his way, moving to cut the transmission, but said one last thing:

" _Don't worry about the blockade. You'll have your invasion. I guarantee it_ ," she said, before the hologram faded out of his sight.

"I'll hold you to that," he finished in the darkness.

Maintaining his cloak in the Force, Ben got away from Jacen's quarters as fast as he could. Betrayal radiated from his bones with each step he took.

 _He mind-rubbed me. Jacen erased my memory…and this Lumiya…her name is familiar_.

He'd heard it from his father before, and nothing but danger had been associated with it…and Jacen was just casually chatting with her, talking about who he was going to kill next. Who, he could only guess.

Jacen was a liar…a threat…the same kind of people he'd been throwing into cells the past year. It only made him wonder what was _really_ going on. Was all this… _unfounded?_

He needed to tell someone, but there weren't enough people to trust.

There was only one.

His mother.

* * *

 **Jedi Council Chambers, Coruscant**

 **Neutral Zone**

 **31 ABY**

"This is serious, Luke," Kyp Durron implored, his black robes covering his boots as he leaned forward in his chair. "She went berserk and tried to kill you."

"I am aware of the importance of this issue, Master Durron," Luke tipped his head. "I'm sure you'd like to revisit the time you did the same on Yavin IV."

"Which is why we must contain this issue _before_ it becomes a threat," Kyp continued.

"This one agreez with Master Durron," Saba Sebatyne hissed.

Luke tried not to lose his patience. "We are doing the best we can, but you must all remember, Petra is _not_ a Jedi. We do not maintain the right to hold her here for long."

Ahsoka hadn't spoken since the meeting began, and she figured no one would take her opinion about her daughter's issue seriously anyway.

Mara spoke up. " _Right_ to hold her here? I think we need to consider if we even _can_ hold her here before we go that far ahead."

No one objected to her point.

"Fair enough, Mara," Luke conceded. "Without a pin on what she's now capable of, we need to consider her dangerous."

Ahsoka shut her eyes, feeling a boiling anger stir below.

"At least a hundred standard yards away from the younglings," another master said.

It rose higher.

"Her father has compromised her with his unusual actions," another added.

It rose higher.

Luke could feel it threatening to burst within her. "We will do-,"

"She should've been raised differently."

"She's dangerous."

"She's a threat."

"She's just like her father."

It erupted.

" _Leave her alone!_ " Ahsoka shouted, rising from her seat, stunning every present master into silence. "Listen to yourselves," she growled. "All of you, _so perfect…so righteous_. If it weren't for _my daughter,_ we would've had basilisk war droids raining down on Coruscant!"

They were stunned by her outburst, but she didn't care. It finally needed to be said. "How quickly you forget what she's done for you…for _all of us_!" she continued. "Just as soon as she makes a mistake, you cast her aside like _cowards_. The _arrogance_!"

There was no response, no breath taken as she made her way back to her seat. Not one master looked her way…except for one.

"I agree with Master Eon," Kyle Katarn spoke up. "While harsh, she speaks truthfully. We cannot forget the contributions Petra has made in the past because of one mistake, and I believe Jaina would agree."

Mara nodded. "I agree."

Everyone turned to Luke, expecting an answer from their Grand Master. It felt as if he was about to pass judgment, and he sighed. "I think it is best-,"

The central emergency commlink flared to life, and an image of a Jedi knight appeared. " _Sorry to interrupt your meeting, Masters, but we have an emergency_."

"What's wrong?" Luke asked.

" _It's the healing room. Petra Eon and Tahiri Veila...they're…,_ "

Ahsoka leaned forward. "They're _what?_ "

The knight grimaced. " _They're gone_."


	10. Exile

**Chapter 9: Exile**

` _Master General Ahsoka Tano-Eon has just issued an all-points bulletin on General Petra Eon and Jedi Knight Tahiri Veila. Eon is suffering from a Force-related disorder and should be considered armed and extremely dangerous. They are wanted explicitly alive. If they are found dead, then their murderer will be subject to expulsion and the full extent of the law._

-Order issued by Grand Master Luke Skywalker to all members of the Jedi Order

* * *

 **Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

 **Neutral Zone**

 **31 ABY**

Jagged Fel tried to keep his attention off the X-wings stationed in the Jedi Temple hangar, reminding him of the time he spent flying them during the Second Mandalorian War. He missed belonging to something…to a band of comrades. He thought he had grasped that once again months ago during his mission to Corellia, but it had only proved to be a one-time thing.

"Thank you for coming, Commander," Luke Skywalker greeted, and shook hands with him. "I'm sure you've heard the news."

"Mostly rumors," Jag admitted. "I've received a spectrum of interpretations."

"Most of them are true, unfortunately," Luke grimaced. "We believe Petra is suffering from some kind of affliction…and now she's on the loose. With what she's capable of, we can't risk this getting out of hand."

"Of course," Jag nodded. He was one of the only people in the galaxy who had seen what she could do first-hand. Her ferocity was second to none, and he couldn't image it getting any worse, but with an "affliction", she could murder _a lot_ of people in one night.

"Long story short, we need her found and returned to us," Luke revealed. "I want you to lead the search. Your mission will be completely funded and supported by the Jedi Order, meaning you will have the jurisdiction to go where you wish in Alliance and Revanite territories."

Jag raised an eyebrow. "If I may ask, Master Jedi, why me?"

His question seemed to catch Luke off guard, or at least stir up emotions he didn't wish to jostle yet. "From what we have available, you know her best. You understand how she operates…and you're less likely to shoot her dead when you first see her."

He considered it. While he thought Petra was borderline insane at times, it didn't mean he didn't respect her. She was a courageous warrior and inspiring leader, and whether he would ever admit it or not, a friend. He couldn't even begin to count the times she had stuck her neck out for him, so he felt it as an obligation to do the same.

"I accept," he said.

"Good," Luke reached into his pocket. "Here's a few things. An ID card, which will identify you as an associate to the Jedi Order. The second is a cred card, giving you access to the resources your task force will have available. The last gives you access to the X-wing in this hangar. Sorry we don't have Revanite SF fighters available."

"An X-wing will do fine."

"I also want to assign a couple Jedi with you. From what we can gather, Tahiri Veila is with her, so you'll need all the help you can get."

"I agree."

Luke's eyes glanced towards a door leading into the hangar. "Speaking of which."

It must've been an impulse in the Force, because all Jag saw was a closed door. When it opened, a woman dressed in brown Jedi robes walked through. "Uncle Luke, you wanted to…oh."

Jag tried not to grimace. It was Jaina Solo.

"I'm putting together a task force to track down Petra and bring her home," Luke said. "Commander Fel is in charge. I'm assigning you to it, and Zekk once he's fit to fly."

Jaina looked as if she expected it to be a joke. "I don't think that's a good idea. I'm not sure I'm comfortable operating as this man's subordinate."

Luke deadpanned. "That didn't seem to be an issue when he was _your_ subordinate only a few months ago."

"Things are…," she trailed off, and looked genuinely uncomfortable. "…different now."

"I'm sure you two can be adults and get over your personal squabble," Luke said. "You're the best choices for this mission, and as far as I'm concerned, it's settled," he glanced in between them. "I'll leave you two to catch up. Jag, at your earliest convenience, I'd like an outline of your strategy." He turned and headed for the door.

Once Luke was out of earshot, Jag spoke. "He _knew_ I didn't want to work with you, and yet he assigned us anyway. Interesting. Alright, let's do some strategic planning."

"Why wouldn't you want to?" Jaina was clearly confused, and he detected a measure of hurt in her voice as well. "Working together on Corellia didn't change anything?"

"It doesn't matter, we have work to do," he headed for the door.

"Jag…I-," Jaina felt words catching themselves in her throat as Jag reached for the door control to force it open, and before she allowed tears to flow, she shouted, "I'm sorry!"

He froze in place, his finger hovering over the control, not looking her way. Jaina continued, not allowing herself to cry, "I never meant to hurt you. It was stupid, what I did, and I know that may not mean much, but I just can't stand this any longer. I'm sorry Jag…I really am."

Jag didn't move but turned his head to reveal one eye looking into hers. "Why now?"

"Why?" she asked, as if it was obvious. "My best friend has run from her home because she doesn't feel safe anymore…and that's _my_ fault. I didn't take the time to realize she was hurting inside…and instead I drove her away because she _upset_ me one day," her hand rushed to her face to hide the one tear that had seeped through her eyelids. "I'm tired of losing the people I care about."

He hesitated with his response, and he couldn't deny the crack in his durasteel demeanor. Jaina had always been his weakness, his soft spot; the one thing he didn't wish anyone to know about him. It reminded of him of Corellia, when she lay writhing on the ground with a dislocated shoulder, and the despair he felt seeing her in such pain. Whether he admitted it or not, he still loved her.

Jag finally turned to her. "It's going to take time."

Jaina seemed to be gathering herself, but eventually nodded. "Ok."

Once the situation settled down after a few moments, he flicked his head towards the door as it opened. "Come on General, we have work to do."

Jaina followed him through the door, reasserting her military discipline. "Any initial ideas of where we might find them?"

"Not really," he admitted, shaking his head. "Only a few theories. If she's really afflicted, then that puts predictability out the viewport," he stopped in the hallway, thinking.

"I'd need to reanalyze the footage of our…incident. Maybe I could pull something out of that," Jaina offered, feeling embarrassed.

"Good idea," he approved. "I think I'll be expanding the team as well; call in a favor."

"Who did you have in mind?"

* * *

 **Keldabe, Mandalore**

 **Mandalorian DMZ, Order of Revan**

 **31 ABY**

Xiso kept his patience as he watched Boba Fett and Supreme Commander Vorchenko discussed the last few details of the agreement that would finally allow Mandalore to fight again. After the end of the Mandalorian War, in which they had lost to the Revanites, they were forced to demilitarize entirely. Their warships had been confiscated, even if their capital ships were stolen Interdictor-classes anyway, and they were entirely forbidden from forming a military.

Not that it mattered. The disastrous reign of Mandalore the Conqueror had nearly wiped out their people, leaving their planet stricken and depopulated. Only the smartest remained, and for his efforts to kill their mad leader, Boba Fett had been named the new _Mand'alor_. He didn't want it, but Xiso figured he took it out of necessity for his people.

But everything was stagnant. Fett was rarely on Mandalore, engaging in who knows what, and the only progress being made was in farming, where veterans of the war had retired to solitude. Their spirit was sapped from the war, handed such a disastrous defeat when their armies had reached the core worlds. Telos and Ord Mantell were nearly devoid of life by now, their civilizations destroyed by the sieges that took place there.

Mandalore was going to be different, and Xiso had his claim to make it so.

The Darksaber wasn't enough. He needed to _accomplish_ something to prove his worth as the new _Mand'alor_. Mandalorians appreciated symbols of power, but they _loved_ action.

Exactly _what_ was the question.

Going after Xur Eon was out of the question. House Ordo was millennia-bound to the disciples of Revan, and to go against them was to betray the oath of his family, hence why he supplied the Revanites with intel during the war.

 _Jacen Solo_ was another matter. The sudden despot had already murdered Boba Fett's daughter under interrogation a few months ago, putting a death mark on the Jedi's back among the Mandalorian people. If he killed him…

No, he needed allies. Jacen Solo was far above his league as a combatant, and he was smart to admit it. Taking him on alone was suicide.

Then a golden opportunity arose in form of a transmission later that day from an old friend.

Jagged Fel.

* * *

 **Osarian Tapcaf, Coruscant**

 **Neutral Zone**

 **31 ABY**

"I wasn't sure who to tell," Ben admitted as he finished his story. "Or who would believe me if I did."

Mara grimaced at the broken sight of her only son, his eyes red from the tears he had unleashed before he had called for her.

"I believe you," she soothed.

"Maybe I _did_ imagine it."

"No, you didn't," she insisted. Imagining Jacen having a friendly chat with her old rival Lumiya was out of the question. It was too unexpected for him to even fathom it, along with the bits of Jacen discussing his plans for an Alliance coup and murder of someone "old, male, and more powerful than Jacen", which narrowed it down to either her husband or Xur Eon. If this accomplice of Jacen and Lumiya was Xur Eon, then that would explain his odd behavior and complete change of character.

"I haven't told Dad or anyone else, and I don't want to," Ben whispered. "You can tell him if you think it's necessary, but I just can't bear to see the look on his face when he finds out what an idiot I've been."

"No less than anyone else has, Ben," Mara corrected. _She_ had defended Jacen all along, shouting down her husband, ripping their family apart, ignoring every sign that Jacen was the real problem. Because of her lack of vision, she now felt the need to rectify her mistake, just as she did when she was the Hand.

"What are we going to do?"

"I don't need _you_ to do anything. I think you've experienced enough grief for now," she grasped his hand. "I think you know how serious this is."

It was _beyond_ just serious. Lumiya and Jacen were talking about disposing her only child, and from what she could tell, Xur was in on it as well. _No one_ threatened her family.

She was going to do it. She would confront Jacen one last time before killing Lumiya, and then her family would be safe.

"Ben, I need you to listen to me when I tell you this. I may have to do some questionable things in the coming days, and in that time, please keep yourself away. The danger you're in is far too great. Lie low until I fix this problem, and know that no matter what, I love you, and that will never change."

Ben nodded. "I believe you."

Mara smiled. "Come on, let's go find something fun to do for a change."

It was the best she could do for her son, because she knew what would come next. The galaxy, her family, would never be the same once she was finished.

She knew what had to be done.

* * *

 **Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

 **Neutral Zone**

 **31 ABY**

Jaina leaned back in her chair as she tried to drown out the sound of fists pounding into a sparring dummy, as well as the smell of sweat from the two men partaking in a chin-up competition. While they weren't actively comparing their count to each other, it _was_ a competition, and she knew it.

Jag and Zekk were both shirtless as they vaulted their heads over each of their bars, and Xiso was still in full armor minus his helmet, pounding his fists into the dummy with a somewhat unnecessary ferocity. She chalked it up to him being a Mandalorian.

Her eyes paced surreptitiously to Jag and Zekk as she ran through the footage of her fight with Petra on her datapad, and it was getting to the point that she couldn't watch it anymore. She wasn't easily repulsed, but the embarrassment of the incident was just as bad as the fact that she felt this entire ordeal was her fault.

She pushed the thought away. All it did was distract her from solving the problem.

"So, we've stretched out feelers across the Order of Revan, extrapolated her ship's path across possible hyperlanes," Jag grunted in between each chin-up. "Best we can tell, her ship is on the rimward side of Revanite space."

Xiso threw a knockout punch, making the dummy shake violently until stopping. "Doesn't narrow it down much," he cracked his knuckles and rolled out his neck and shoulders.

"Agreed. Zekk, we're doing this wrong," Jag said.

"We should be doing sit-ups instead?"

Xiso dropped to the floor and started rolling out some push-ups. "So, he's the funny guy?"

Jag scoffed. "It's just Jedi humor, Zee," calling Xiso by his short name. "That's not what I meant."

"I see," Xiso noticed. "You're saying we need to be looking from different angles," he stopped at the top of his push-up. "General, let's say you had a _di'kut_ father, and everyone thinks you're crazy. Where would you run to?"

It took a moment for Jaina to realize he was talking to her. "Um…what does _di'kut_ mean?"

"Useless, waste of space," Xiso translated. "Or something _bad_."

"Right," Jaina lost herself in thought. "Well, I'd probably run off to some place where there _aren't_ a lot of people to think I'm crazy; a place where my father couldn't find me."

Xiso smirked, and then started doing push-ups again. "You hear that Fel?"

"We need to find a place where Xur Eon wouldn't go," Jag pieced together as he continued his workout. "Which _does_ narrow it down for us."

"But _is_ there a place he wouldn't go?" Zekk asked.

"That's the billion-credit question," Jaina pointed. "As long as I've known him, he's never been shy of heading to a new world or revisiting old ones."

"He's the architect of the galaxy we're living in now," Xiso pointed out. "Wherever this place is, it has to _scare_ him. I mean _really_ scare him."

Jaina raised a finger. "I could ask Master Tano about that."

"Done deal," Jag approved. "Do it. We'll be here."

She couldn't help but smile to herself. Despite Jag's military upbringing, he'd run the task force as informally as he could, something she appreciated very much.

Things were already looking better.

* * *

 **Outer Rim Territories**

 **Order of Revan**

 **31 ABY**

" _I am not your enemy._ "

Petra tried not to blow her own brains out just so she would never have to hear Valkorian's voice again. Instead, she resorted to grit teeth and the most frightening face she could muster at him.

"Go to hell."

He was getting frustrated, and she could feel it. One of the perks of him residing inside her body gave her direct access into his consciousness. Every emotion he was feeling, she could detect, and she felt the sweet pride of infuriating her tormentor.

She sat with her legs crossed in the most open area of the Revanite shuttle she and Tahiri had stolen, the rectangular holocron resting just in front of her. For the last hour she had tried to will it open, but to no avail. Its intricacy was different than that of a Sith, which meant she was starting from scratch, without the help of her father.

" _Why must you be so difficult?_ " Valkorian's voice returned in her head.

"Because you're an old man living inside my head without my permission, Creep. Why else?" Petra mocked, maintaining focus on the holocron, only to fail once again.

He chuckled, and she grimaced with discomfort. " _Then allow me to afford you a token of goodwill._ "

Her focus intensified, so much that she was blinded by the sudden amount of power that flowed through her. Once again, she could feel herself slipping back into Valkorian's grasp as his power tempted her.

 _No._

With the force of sheer will, she let go of the power he was feeding her and felt a recoil in retaliation. Valkorian's shimmering figure was thrown from her body, showing him stumbling from her effort.

"Leave me alone, you monster! You almost made me kill Luke Skywalker!" she shouted, springing to her feet. "Now, thanks to you, I'm on the run, and I want nothing more than you out of my head for good!"

" _You asked me to be free, and I obliged. It was your own will that had you attack Skywalker,_ " Valkorian corrected, flashing back to a stance of majesty. " _I am not your enemy_."

"Then what do you want?!" Petra closed her fist, trying to reign in her emotions. "If you want me to trust you, then I need to know who you are."

Valkorian turned away, and for a moment, she thought he would lash out at her, but no attack came. " _I have been given many names over my lifetime: Tenebrae, Vitiate, Valkorian. I am under simplest terms a Sith Lord, but far more powerful than one could ever hope to be._ "

"Vitiate," Petra repeated, delving into her memory. "I know that name!" her lightsaber was then in her hand and ignited, preparing to swing. "You're Revan's ancient enemy… _our_ ancient enemy!"

" _Yes, but I am nothing more than a spirit now. Death itself has never conquered me, no matter how long my enemies tried. I commanded an Empire that was to span eternity, but my plans were foiled by your ancestor, the Hero of Tython. You, Petra Eon, have the most potent bloodlines of both the light and the dark, a conduit in which the entirety of the Force flows. With that power, your abilities are limitless_ ," Valkorian explained. " _And you will need them more than ever soon enough._ "

Petra continued to listen, oddly intrigued. "Why is that?"

He leaned forward. " _Jacen Solo has turned to the Dark Side, and his reign as Sith will tear the galaxy asunder. Only you have the power to stop him._ "

Her eyes widened. She knew something was wrong with Jacen, but a _Sith Lord?_ It was impossible. It had to be. Jacen was the closest being to the light that she knew, and to hear him turning to the Dark Side…

"I don't believe you," she denied.

" _It matters not,_ " he raised his hand and the holocron opened on cue. " _This will show you the truth, and where you must go to achieve your destiny_."

Petra fell to her knees and picked up the open holocron, admittedly impressed. "I'm guessing you'll be in touch?"

" _Indeed. As one last token of goodwill, I offer you this: keep an eye on your companion. She is not here for the same reasons you are_."

Petra shrugged dismissively, knowing he was just trying to divide her in Tahiri in each other's time of need. "Whatever."

Valkorian faded away, leaving only Petra with the holocron in her hands. She sensed Tahiri enter the area in which she had chosen as soon as he was gone.

"I disabled all the tracking beacons. We're off the grid," she said, looking down at Petra. "Any idea where we're going?"

The togruta-zabrak drank in the information that the holocron presented, and she opened her eyes.

"Malachor. Set a course for Malachor."

* * *

 **Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

 **Neutral Zone**

 **31 ABY**

Jaina raced across the Temple grounds as her eyes finally locked on to her target, feeling pressed for time. While Jag didn't give her an expected timetable of return, she felt the need to move as fast as possible, for Petra's sake.

"Master!" she called out. "Master Eon!"

Ahsoka turned, who looked somewhat in a rush herself, dressed in regular Jedi robes. "Jaina, what is it?"

She skidded to a halt just in front of the togruta. "I need some information. It's about…," her eyes paced around, noticing the many Knights and Padawans passing by, and Ahsoka got the hint that it was confidential.

"This way," she pointed towards the military division, which housed the war room. After a two-minute walk, they secured themselves inside, and Ahsoka locked everything down into privacy mode.

Jaina didn't waste any time. "We may have a lead on Petra, but we need some information on…," she tried to find the best way to refer to him. "Director Eon."

Ahsoka crossed her arms and looked away uncomfortably. "What do you need to know?"

"Is there any place in the outer rim where he would _never_ go, and Petra knows about it?" Jaina asked.

"Is that where you think she went?"

"It's very possible, yes."

Ahsoka paused for a moment, delving into her memories. Jaina only watched her close her eyes and felt her relive painful memories in the past; friends lost, horrific battles, but also moments of bliss and happiness.

Her thought process halted. "Malachor. He would _never_ go back to Malachor."

Jaina knew the planet, but she also knew how powerful it was in the Dark Side of the Force. "Why not?"

Ahsoka sighed, leaning up against the non-functional holo-map. "Too many ghosts," she said. "With Revan's memories, he sees the Mass Shadow Generator explosion every time he steps foot on that planet…you remember your history, right?"

Jaina teetered her head. "Mostly. I know it ended the First Mandalorian Wars."

Ahsoka nodded. "It's also where Xur found his holocron…and where he fought your grandfather. He tries not to think about Vader anymore, clinging to the hope that his old friend Anakin was always there. Malachor would only remind him what a monster he was."

Jaina considered it. While she wasn't overly fond of heading to the planet, it seemed the most logical for the leads they had. In the end, ultimately, it was Jag's decision.

"Be careful," Ahsoka warned. "Malachor is a place of nothing but pain, despair, and death. During the days of the Old Republic, Malachor was forbidden for Jedi to travel there, and as much as I want you to find my daughter, I don't want to lose you either."

"We'll be fine, Ahsoka, I promise."

* * *

 **RSR Director's Office, Coruscant**

 **Neutral Zone**

 **31 ABY**

"Our daughter is missing," Ahsoka said, her hands folded together as she sat across from her husband, whose mask covered his facial expressions and where his eyes truly were wandering. "I want to know if you had anything to do with it."

Imperius shook his head without hesitation. "Of course not."

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes. She couldn't pry into him through their bond, which he had shut off on his end, but she could still sense the emotions that radiated from him. There was anxiety more than anything else present.

"There's something wrong with her."

"Is that why she tried to kill Luke Skywalker?"

Ahsoka shrugged, not giving him the satisfaction of seeing her distressed. "They think she was afflicted by something."

"But you don't think that."

" _No_ ," she shook her head, letting rage show in her expression now. "I think what _you're_ doing is making her unstable, so she's hurting, and doesn't know where to put it."

She _did_ think something was afflicting her, but she needed to see how Xur would react; feel how he felt when she accused _him_.

He shook his head. "Master Tano, look I-,"

Ahsoka exploded again. " _Do not call me that!_ " she shouted, rising to her feet and throwing her chair aside with the Force. "I am not your subordinate, or constituent… _I am your wife_ , and I won't tolerate this anymore!"

She saw his fists clench together as they rested on his desk, and his voice came in bristling with agitation. "What you can or cannot tolerate is not my concern, Master Tano. There are more important matters to attend to then chasing after a rogue combatant."

"A _rogue combatant?!_ Listen to what you're saying!" she spat, tears unable to break past the wall of pure rage that she had built. "If you really care so little for our daughter, then just say it."

Imperius kept his emotions in check, but deep inside, Xur was clawing to be free. He loved his daughter more than anything in the galaxy. He would burn half the galaxy scouring the depths for her, and he would regret nothing…but there was something far larger at stake.

 _This_ was the price he had to pay.

Imperius shook Xur's head. "I don't."

Ahsoka grimaced, and the tears flowed. She didn't sob or scream…she just let them roll down her face. "Then my husband is dead."

Xur clawed at Imperious like a savage beast, but he remained.

She turned away with the stance of a strong woman, but her presence in the Force was broken. Then, he felt the bond from both ends sever completely…her will to cling to him had been lost.

Before she left, she turned with the face of fierce determination. "And I _will_ avenge him."

Ahsoka left Imperious alone in his office, and he slouched back in his chair with relief. He could feel Xur fading away; his will broke when Ahsoka could no longer fuel it, and his Sith persona felt finally whole. Without the help of corruption, he had forced himself to change, to psychically separate his thoughts into a new entity.

Losing her was the last step, and now, Imperius was truly born.

As Ahsoka wiped the tears away from her face once she exited the RSR building into the Coruscant night, her commlink beeped with a transmission. She wasn't in the mood to talk now, but once she saw it was Mara, she activated it nonetheless.

" _Ahsoka_ ," she greeted, her arms crossed, and face filled with malice. " _We need to talk about Jacen and Xur. Can you meet me?_ "

* * *

 **Alliance Senate Lobby, Coruscant**

 **Neutral Zone**

 **31 ABY**

"There you are," Mara ambushed Jacen as he stepped out of the turbolift. "Glad I caught you."

His face rendered genuine surprise, and she relished in the satisfaction of catching him off guard. She had Ben to thank for the vanishing-in-the-Force trick.

"Hi Aunt Mara," he greeted, collecting himself expertly. "I'd love to catch up over a drink, but I must get back to the _Anakin Solo_ before we depart. Can we schedule for another time?"

"Oh, this won't take long," Mara insisted. "But it has to be now."

Jacen was admittedly intrigued, so he stopped his walk and turned to face her. "Alright, what is it?"

 _If you weren't Han and Leia's son I would've killed you already, but I must try this, for their sake._

She steered him away from the center of the room to an alcove, where she felt safe enough from the prying eyes of others. "You don't fool me, not anymore."

Jacen slowly grinned as if he was baffled. "Is there something I've done?"

"Remember what I was?"

"You've lost me, Mara…"

"This is about Lumiya and whatever you and Xur are up to. It stops now. You've turned into something vile, and you're too smart to be conned into it, so I know it's all been genuine."

"Well, I don't know what you mean. I _really_ don't."

"Wrong answer," someone else warned, and Jacen turned to see Ahsoka join Mara in front of him, once again caught off guard. "Think harder."

 _That's right you cocky son of a bitch. I brought the trump card._

His grin didn't disappear. "Listen, I know things have been a little rough lately, so are you sure you two are alright?"

"Don't even _think_ about trying that one," Mara stopped him. "If you can acknowledge the terrible things you've done. If there's still a speck of Leia's son left in you, then come with us right now to the Temple, and we'll help get Lumiya out of your head."

Jacen dug his hands into his pockets and looked down at the floor, maintaining his grin. "Mara…Ahsoka…as you can see, I have a blockade to coordinate, and I don't have time for this emotional breakdown you're both having because of whatever fight you've engaged with your husband, Master Eon, or whatever Ben has been telling you-,"

Mara pointed her finger just before she jabbed it into his chest. "This has nothing to do with Ben. Leave him out of this. If you so much as _breathe_ on him, I'll skin you alive, and that's not a euphemism. Last chance. Drop this Sith garbage now, or you'll take what's coming."

She said it. _Sith_. Jacen's grin was wiped from his face, and he looked like a stranger. Mara knew Sith had yellow eyes, and she could only imagine if his had turned that sickly color right in front of her. He would be unrecognizable.

"Good night, Aunt Mara, Master _Tano_ ," he corrected, and then walked away without another word.

"Tread carefully, Colonel Solo," Ahsoka warned, making sure he heard. "I've killed serpents far deadlier than you."

Her comment gave Mara a chill down her spine, even if Jacen had never acknowledged it as he vanished into the night…because she _believed_ her. Angered, Ahsoka was the single deadliest combatant in the galaxy, and her daughter was missing. She…they…were mothers with _everything_ to lose.

Jacen Solo was a dead man.


	11. Sacrifice

**Chapter 10: Sacrifice**

 _"A god has no family."_

-Valkorian, circa 3600 BBY

* * *

 **Trayus Academy, Malachor**

 **Order of Revan**

 **31 ABY**

Tahiri never let go of her lightsaber hilt since they touched down. Malachor was nothing more than a lifeless, gray, rock from the view of space, and on the surface, it was that much more menacing. The sky was filled with clouds glowing a sickly dark green, and the sun didn't even peek through the largest cracks. When she let her senses dig to its core, she felt a kernel of pure darkness beating, along with the endless distant screams of anguish from a time long past.

She was beginning to feel sick, and yet, Petra pressed on, holocron in hand, unaffected.

"How much longer are we going to wander around this Force-forsaken place?" Tahiri asked, jumping over a jagged black rock protruding from the ground.

Petra shot her a cocky smile. "Those boots beginning to bother your feet, Tee?"

Tahiri rolled her eyes, shaking off her tease. She had always been relentless when it came to Tahiri's fear of footwear, but that didn't mean she wasn't right in this case. The terrain called for _some_ kind of protection.

"That's not what I meant."

"This place is really nasty, I know," Petra answered for her. "I said you could stay on the ship if you weren't up to it."

"And leave you alone on _this_ planet? I think not," Tahiri smiled.

"Ha! I knew I could trust you."

Tahiri grimaced for a moment, but quickly tossed away the expression as Petra stopped. The holocron was glowing a bright red as they came to a long, arched bridge that spanned a deep chasm. On the other side was a large, semi-circle doorway that went into the base of the mountain before them.

"This is it," Petra confirmed, putting the holocron back into her belt pouch and drawing her hilt. _Time to get this crazy old man out of my head._

"Crazy ladies first," Tahiri offered.

Petra rolled her eyes as she began to cross the bridge, but grinded to a halt. Tahiri felt a touch in the Force as Petra looked up but couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was.

"What is it?" she asked.

" _Jaina_ ," she heard her whisper, and then Petra grabbed ahold of her wrist, pulling her along. "We need to move."

Tahiri shook her hand free but kept pace. " _Ugh_ , Jaina wouldn't hurt us, Petra."

"No, but she would _stop_ us."

* * *

 **Malachor Orbit**

 **Order of Revan**

 **31 ABY**

Jaina's Stealth-X X-wing came out of hyperspace, and she was greeted to the sickly sight of the planet Malachor, where she could already sense Petra. Their sister-like bond was strong, and she was beginning to see why Luke had assigned her to track her down. It was difficult to keep the two of them apart.

" _All wings report in,_ " Jag's voice came through, and she couldn't stop herself from smiling slightly.

" _Zekk here_."

Jaina readjusted her helmet, which had been thrown out of whack from the deceleration. "Jaina here."

One more remained, and after a moment, his voice keyed through. " _I'm never agreeing to fly an x-wing again. Damn thing is too complicated_ ," Xiso grumbled.

Jaina kept herself focused on Petra, and she could feel her tugging away, as if she didn't want to be found. "Well, you're in luck Zee. This is the place."

" _You sure?_ " Jag asked. " _So soon?_ "

" _They're practically sisters, Commander,_ " Zekk explained. " _They could sense each other probably a galaxy away_."

Jaina nodded even if they couldn't see her. Jag's x-wing was just in front of her, hanging in space as he awaited a destination, while Xiso and Zekk were just behind her. The Dark Side was practically dragging her by her feet towards the planet, and it reminded her of her brief fall to it just after Anakin had died.

That time she had Petra to help her through it. Now, she felt alone, even with the company of others, but they didn't understand her quite like her family did…and Petra _was_ family as far as she was concerned.

She was going to make sure Petra got out of here alive.

"I'm sure," Jaina confirmed, gripping her yoke a little tighter.

" _Then lead the way, Jaina_ ," Jag said.

Jaina smiled to herself. He had called her by her name, not _General_ , this time, which meant what she had said was getting through to him. It was reassuring to know that progress was being made towards healing the rift she had created.

She turned a knob, adding more power to her thrusters. "Will do. Follow me and stay close. I'll try to avoid the storms. I've heard ships can be taken down in a blink if you're not careful."

" _Haar'chak_ ," Xiso cursed. " _Of course, there's lethal storms when I'm in an unfamiliar spacecraft_."

" _Just stay close and keep your eyes open_ ," Jag echoed Jaina's suggestion.

Once everyone had quieted down, Jaina increased power to her thrusters and sped off into the heart of darkness.

* * *

 _ **Anakin Solo**_ **, Corellian Orbit**

 **CIS, Galactic Alliance (Contested Space)**

 **31 ABY**

"Perimeter has been established, Colonel Solo," the deck officer called to Jacen, who stood on the command walkway of the bridge. "The blockade is secure."

"Very good," Jacen praised, looking out the bridge viewport. Everything was going exactly to plan. No Insurgent ships had retaliated upon their arrival, and the Alliance Fleet had minimal resistance in establishing their perimeter. To his right was the _Rectifier_ , where he could feel Xur's presence at the helm of his own capital ship.

He could feel it in the Force. Something was rising; a moment was coming…and he knew the sacrifice would be coming soon.

His ascension to the Sith was upon him.

There was a familiar flicker in the Force, and on cue, the deck officer was grabbing his attention again. "We're being hailed by the Chief of State."

"Put it through, up front," he gestured towards the viewport.

After a few moments, the bridge dimmed, and the hologram of Thrackan Sal-Solo appeared. " _Colonel Solo, you are violating the Autonomy Clause of the Azure Accords. Your blockade is illegal._ "

"The rules have changed," Jacen retorted. "Corellia has been warned of disciplinary action for quite some time, and after your unprovoked attack only six standard months ago, we now have grounds to retaliate, as well as the backing of the Revanite Fleet."

Thrackan didn't say anything, and Jacen took that as a cue to continue. "Corellia will not receive trade shipments, refugees, or any importation during the duration of the blockade. No ships will be allowed to leave or enter by any means until our demands are met."

" _Which are?_ " Thrackan asked.

"Complete disarmament of your entire navy, and reintegration into the Galactic Alliance."

" _You'd be stripping our autonomy_."

Jacen nodded. "Yes."

Thrackan shook his head. " _Then I cannot accept those terms_."

"Then the blockade will continue."

Thrackan quickly had a smirk of victory. " _Oh, I disagree_ ," he sneered, as if waiting for something to happen.

"Colonel," the deck officer called again. "We're receiving another transmission."

* * *

 **Skywalker Apartment, Coruscant**

 **Neutral Zone**

 **31 ABY**

Luke awoke somewhat quickly after facing another odd dream. The past few days had not been kind to him in regard to sleep, as he had been constantly awoken by various ominous visions. Today he was lucky to see daylight arise.

He turned over, expecting to see Mara lying beside him, but found it empty, untouched. She had told him she would be back late, but it looked as if she hadn't been back _at all_.

Something was wrong. He could feel it.

Luke rolled off the bed and dressed himself into light robes, just in case he wasn't alone, and called his lightsaber to his hand. Cautious, he snuck through his own apartment, and quickly jumped into the living room, only to see it unoccupied. The feeling was still there, but slightly less ominous now.

His eyes locked towards the door, and on a flimsy note that was stuck to it. He quickly approached, and saw it read:

 _Gone hunting for a few days. Don't be mad at me, farmboy…_

"Oh Mara," Luke gasped, running back to his room to be dressed properly. "What have you done?"

* * *

 _ **Millennium Falcon**_ **, Corellian Orbit**

 **CIS, Galactic Alliance (Contested Space)**

 **31 ABY**

"You do realize, that if this doesn't work, we're committing high treason against the Galactic Alliance," Leia reminded Han, who sat in the pilot's chair of the first love of his life. Ahead of them was the _Anakin Solo_ , named after their deceased son, and commanded by their living…who might as well have been a stranger. Leia could already feel Jacen sensing them, and he only relayed confusion mixed with anger.

Behind them was nothing. No fleet, no army…just them. Nothing for their son to take the wrong way.

At least that's what Thrackan had said, and Han wouldn't trust Thracken to throw away a used tissue for him.

"I know," Han answered, keeping the _Falcon_ steady. "But it's too late to turn back now. Send the transmission," Leia nodded hesitantly, but sent out the hail frequency. "And hope there's still a piece of our son left on that ship."

It was a few agonizing seconds before they answered, and part of Han was screaming for him to call of the signal, turn the _Falcon_ , and retreat to the Outer Rim, never to be seen again…but Leia would never stand for that. That was the reason he married her.

The transmission came through, and the holographic image of their son appeared on the dash. He was standing, still wearing his GAG black fatigues and a black cloak; a menacing appearance that shook Han to his core when he saw it again.

"Jacen, it's-," Leia began.

" _Captain Solo, Jedi Solo. You are approaching a Galactic Alliance blockade. No traffic is permitted to and from Corellia. Deviate your current course, or you will be shot down,_ " Jacen warned, his stoic stare unbreaking.

"We just want to talk," Leia insisted.

Jacen stood, unmoving, no reaction given. " _Then you can be brought aboard the Anakin Solo._ "

Han turned the holo-cam away from him and mouthed "no" to Leia, keeping his pace on the _Falcon_. Leia sighed. "We can't do that, Jacen."

" _Very well_ ," Jacen shrugged, and Leia felt absolutely _nothing_ from him. No emotion, no reaction… _nothing_. He was ready to let them go for good… _just like that_. " _When I give the order, open fire on the Millennium Falcon_."

* * *

 _ **Rectifier**_ **, Corellian Orbit**

 **CIS, Galactic Alliance (Contested Space)**

 **31 ABY**

Darth Imperius watched as the _Millennium Falcon_ approached the _Anakin Solo_ on its own; a speck among the stars approaching an entire row of the largest capital ships in existence. He wasn't surprised by the Solos' boldness, but this was bordering on stupidity. The only thing he could guess was this was one last plea to save their son from the Dark Side.

Even Xur Eon knew Jacen Solo was gone.

As his senses reached out to the _Anakin_ , he felt cold nothingness from Jacen, as if he had rejected all emotion in this moment. In the face of seeing his parents as the enemy, he had chosen not to feel…so that his emotions did not allow him to hesitate.

A Sith never quieted their emotions… _Jacen Solo_ was the greatest he had ever seen at accomplishing that feat.

Maybe a part of Jacen still existed after all.

His wrist-comm buzzed, and the saw the coded transmission he was waiting for.

 _FLEET EN ROUTE ONE MINUTE._

Lumiya's mystery fleet was on its way.

"All hands, man battle stations," Imperius commanded, and smiled behind his mask. Jacen wasn't immune to _everything_ …especially _surprise_.

* * *

 _ **Anakin Solo**_ **, Corellian Orbit**

 **CIS, Galactic Alliance (Contested Space)**

 **31 ABY**

"Colonel! We have incoming ships from hyperspace!" the deck officer exclaimed.

Jacen peeled his eyes off the hologram of his parents and down to the officer, already steaming from his effort to contain the tempest of emotions inside him. Becoming a Sith had made it far more taxing to hide them than before.

"What ships?" he asked.

"Can't tell!" the officer squinted on the screen as if to get a better look. "They're coming in too fast and too large to get a reading!"

Jacen whirled back towards the hologram, his cloak flapping as he did. "What kind of trickery is this?! Where is the Corellian Fleet?!"

" _We don't know of any Fleet, Jacen!_ " his father yelled with tested annoyance. " _We're all that's here!_ "

"Fifteen seconds, Colonel," the officer counted down.

Jacen closed his eyes, and let the feeling of betrayal run its course, bathing in it. He let the rage fuel his passion; his will to win at any cost…for the safety of the galaxy and his daughter. When he opened them again, he heard a voice in his mind.

 _Goodbye Mom. Goodbye Dad._

"Ten seconds, Colonel."

He knew what he had to do.

"Captain Solo, Jedi Solo, I proclaim you sympathizers to the Corellian Insurgency, and traitors to the Galactic Alliance. Open fire on the _Millennium Falcon_ ," he commanded.

Another deck officer, this one female, protested. "But Sir, that's-,"

"I know who they are! Open fire!" Jacen shouted, but just as he gave the order, time ran out. A Fleet of Providence-Class capital ships and old Separatist frigates emerged from hyperspace, and a wall of red turbolaser beams rained down on the Alliance and Revanite Fleets.

"Intensify forward shields!" Jacen commanded, and he heard the generators prime. "Brace!"

The _Anakin Solo_ rocked from the impact, but its advanced, state-of-the-art shields stopped every beam from reaching the hull. Once the initial attack was held at bay, the newly-emerged fleet continued fire, and began launching vulture droids from the hangar bays.

"Get our fighters out there!" Jacen continued to relay orders. "Commodore, prepare my X-Wing for take-off!"

"Yes sir," the male officer saluted, and sent the command to the hangar bay.

As Jacen marched down the command walkway and to the turbolift that would take him below, he had never felt so much boiling hatred in his life…and he _loved_ it.

The Corellian Insurgent States had declared war on the Galactic Alliance…and his parents were the head of the enemy fleet.

It was time for the sacrifice to be made.

* * *

 **Malachor**

 **Order of Revan**

 **31 ABY**

Jaina ripped off her breathing mask and grit her teeth as she fought to hold her yoke steady. Around her cockpit was the mist of the dark green clouds she saw from space, too thick to see through except for the quick flashes of green-hued lightning. She could feel her entire x-wing shaking as the alarms blared in her ears, practically every warning light coming on. Petra was there, just beyond the cloud, but she wasn't sure _she_ was going to make it, let alone everyone else.

Clinging to the Force to guide her through the haze, as well as warn her of danger, she activated the squadron comm. "Pull back! You won't make it. Just find another way to meet me on the surface!" she shouted.

She could barely hear Jag's response over all the noise. " _We're not leaving you alone, Jaina!_ "

"Just do it!" she shouted, not considering the fact that she was his subordinate. "I'll activate my distress beacon as soon as I land. Just follow it!"

She knew Jag would never leave a "man" behind, but he also knew what she was capable of, and when something was a suicidal and unnecessary risk. She hoped that would come to his senses now.

" _Xiso, Zekk, fall back_ ," Jag ordered. " _We'll rendezvous on Jaina's distress beacon_."

" _You're insane!_ " Zekk protested. " _We can't leave her!_ "

" _Crazy_ jetii," Xiso added.

" _That's an order! I said pull back!_ "

Jaina breathed a sigh of relief but was quickly spoiled by her danger sense running down her spine. Yanking the yoke to port, her x-wing strafed from a lightning strike just before it sheared through her. With no vision, she had to completely rely on the Force, just as Ahsoka had taught her. She felt each bit of danger coming long before it happened, all while maintaining her course towards Petra.

After an eternity of dodging lightning strikes, her ship broke cloud cover, and she was greeted to the fast-approaching rocky surface. There was still distance for her to maneuver, but she was approaching at almost triple the recommended approach speed for a landing. If she pulled her breaks in atmosphere, she could shear her wings, and the reduced speed would leave her more vulnerable to still-dangerous lightning strikes.

She needed to shave speed, but she needed to do it fast and without her breaks.

Her hands flew around her cockpit as she unlocked her s-foils and started the first stages of the landing cycle. The aft drag fins rolled out from her hull, and she grasped ahold of the manual control with her free hand, feeling the air as it pulled.

Down to double the approach speed, but only 25,000 feet remained, which was a mere 15 to 20 seconds. She pulled the yoke and angled her ship starboard of Petra's position, before pulling hard to port, throwing her x-wing into a spiraling dive. Her neck muscles clenched at the increased g-forces, which were fluctuating too violently for her compensators to relieve her. A black tunnel surrounded her vision, but her sheer will forced it away.

Jaina pulled back on the yoke while maintaining her spin, and her gauge was finally down to the recommended speed, but only with 10,000 feet left to the surface. In one, last maneuver, she yanked her ship even harder to port, turning it sideways. Mountaintops were spinning around her, and she knew the surface was only two seconds away.

With a quick pull to starboard, the ship flattened out, and only then did she activate her bottom repulsors, slowly lowering the x-wing to a floating halt over the surface. Deep breaths followed as the landing gear touched down, and only after her engines grinded to a halt did she relax.

Her head fell back against the headrest, and she quickly laughed, shocked that she actually pulled the landing off without a scratch.

The presence of Petra snapped her back into action, and before long she threw off her helmet and her flight mesh, jumping out her cockpit with her lightsaber hilt in hand. Before her was a dark landscape, and in the distance, she spotted a large arched bridge, as well as a doorway cut into the mountain bearing over her.

That was where Petra had gone.

"Jag, do you read me?" she activated her comm-link, but only received static back. "Jag, do you copy?"

Nothing.

"Blast!" she cursed. Her only option was to activate her distress beacon, but it could take them hours to find a clear path to her, avoiding the clouds she had to pass through…hours Petra may not have.

"I know you don't want me to, big sis," Jaina said to herself as she began to traverse the landscape after activating her beacon. "But I'm coming anyway."

* * *

 **Trayus Academy, Malachor**

 **Order of Revan**

 **31 ABY**

"Stay close," Petra warned, taking her time to make it through the dark hallways, Tahiri just behind her.

"Oh, trust me," Tahiri said. "I didn't plan on going off on my own."

The togruta-zabrak's violet blade illuminated what seemed like nothing less than a Sith Academy, much like the one her father had taken her to on Korriban when she was younger. Although, this one was less primitive, and far more elegant than the other Sith structures she was used to. The hallways had white pillars that had lost their shine after thousands of years untouched, but much of it still stood, aside from a few cave-ins where the mountain had reclaimed its lost territory.

"What do you think this is?" Tahiri asked.

Petra's eyes paced their surroundings until they reached a large, arched doorway, and next to it was a weathered plaque, the Sith language carved into it. She approached, allowing her lightsaber to give her a clear look at the writing.

"This…I might be able to read this," Petra recognized, running her fingers along the engraving.

"That looks like ancient Sith text," Tahiri followed up. "Can you understand it?"

"Maybe," Petra answered with a bit of pessimism. "Mom and Dad taught me a few things, but they were… _conflicted_ on this subject."

The words weren't rolling off her tongue, but Petra recognized a few syllables that allowed her to piece together some words. "This means '-aus'…and this is… 'hall' or 'foyer'," she mumbled to herself. "Triad? No…tray…Trayus…I think this means 'Grand Hall, Trayus Academy'."

Petra's holocron was suddenly glowing so bright, she no longer needed her lightsaber, and the large door began to slowly open.

"Ha. I knew I learned a few things," Petra said, but received no answer. When she looked to see if Tahiri was stunned or shocked at her achievement, she was gone. "Tahiri? Tahiri!"

"Your friend is gone," a dark, malicious, and horrifically augmented voice called from inside the Hall before her. Petra turned to see what was left of a human male, his skin grey and cracked, as if any moment he would just fall to pieces before her.

"Where did you take her?!" Petra shouted, drawing both violet lightsabers.

"You'll find out soon enough," the man growled, his one good eye boiling with hatred. The hilt in his hand ignited, revealing a crimson beam. "Your journey ends here, Petra Eon."

"Go to hell!" Petra shouted and sprung after him.

* * *

"Petra, where are you?!" Tahiri shouted from the entrance to the Grand Hall. One minute they were together, and after the holocron glowed, Petra has disappeared. Instinctively, Tahiri drew her hilt and ignited her blue blade, slowly pacing into the hall. The area was much larger than the rest of the Academy, which gave her the impression that this was once where all the trainees met.

Knowing it was probably in vain, she tried once again. "Petra! Where did you go?!"

"Tahiri," a familiar voice that nearly stopped her heart, spoke behind her. "What are you doing here?"

Her legs shook, and she was already fighting back tears as she turned around. Standing there was Anakin Solo, dressed in the same brown jacket he always wore, his hair combed over to one side.

He approached, but Tahiri pointed her lightsaber in warning fashion. "What kind of dark arts sorcery is this?!" she grit her teeth. "I…I _watched_ you die!"

"Nothing ever truly dies, Tahiri," Anakin eased, slowly inching his way towards her.

"Stay back!" she warned again. "You're _dead!_ "

"Tahiri…please," he soothed. "I'm here."

She felt herself lax, and as much as she tried to fight it, hearing his voice again was too much to resist. With a fit-full of tears, she deactivated her lightsaber and ran into his arms. " _Anakin...I'm so sorry_ ," she sobbed into his jacket, which felt just as she remembered it. "I wasn't strong enough to save you."

"There was nothing you could've done," he eased, holding her tightly in his arms.

* * *

 _ **Millennium Falcon**_ **, Corellian Orbit**

 **CIS, Galactic Alliance (Contested Space)**

 **31 ABY**

"Hang on!" Han warned as he pulled the _Falcon_ into a hard bank, away from the approaching _Anakin Solo_. The vulture droids were barreling past them as they did so, beginning their first attack run. "I knew we shouldn't have trusted him! He set us up!"

Leia strapped in her flight belt before she was thrown from her seat as Han avoided the laserfire from both fleets. "It's too late to worry about it now. We've got to get out of here!"

"I'm working on it, sweetheart!" Han grumbled, engaging in more flips and dives to keep themselves from being obliterated. Alliance x-wings were moving to intercept the droids, and Leia could fell the death that emanated from each fallen pilot. The battle for Corellia had begun.

She felt another presence, followed by a laserfire impact to their shields. Han pulled hard again. "We've got an x-wing on our back!"

Leia gulped hard. "It's our son…Jacen."

"He's not our son!" Han shouted as he continued to dodge the relentless enemy fire that rained upon them. "Not anymore."

* * *

Jacen kept pace just behind the _Falcon_ , taking every shot he could to bring the Corellian freighter down. He could feel it…he knew who his sacrifice had to be…and he was ready to be rid of his parents once and for all.

He maintained his distance and mirrored every move his father made, reaching out into the Force for small glimpses into the future. More hits landed, and he could see the _Falcon_ 's shields begin to show signs of failure. It was only a matter of time now.

His x-wing took a direct hit to one of his ion engines, punching right through his weak rear shields. When he looked to his radar, it showed the origin of the shot from a friendly ship.

"Watch your fire!" he shouted into his comm.

" _Burn in hell_ ," Mara replied.

* * *

Imperius engaged the vulture droids in his SF-Advanced, systematically dismantling whole squadrons at a time with his extensive knowledge of the droid's tendencies and programming. He felt an odd bit of nostalgia as he did so, reliving the glorious young days of Xur Eon once again.

The _Anakin Solo_ was holding together, but the initial turbolaser fire and surprise fighter attack was taking its toll, and only now did he and his squadron relieve the pressure. As they pulled away from their attack run, he activated the squad comm. "Pull out and protect the _Rectifier_."

As his squadron peeled off, Imperius felt a disturbance in the Force…a feeling of surprise and danger.

Jacen was in trouble.

Imperius searched the battle for his x-wing and failed to notice that one of his squadron was still tailing him. They fired, landing a direct hit to his port engine. Stunned, he pulled into a dive, shouting into the comm, "What are you doing, Black Three?!"

" _What I said I would_ ," Ahsoka replied. " _Avenge my husband's death_."

* * *

 **Trayus Academy, Malachor**

 **Order of Revan**

 **31 ABY**

Jaina stumbled as she felt a harsh torrent in the Force. A large conflict was arising, and she could feel all those close to her directly involved in it. After her nearly fatal landing however, she saw no possible point of return. This was her path now, and she had to follow it, for Petra's sake.

But she knew time was running out.

Petra was close, she could feel it, but she also felt something evil and all-consuming surrounding her. Jaina picked up the pace through the halls, keeping her lightsaber extinguished and the Force to enhance her sight. No need to show exactly where she was, and as far as she knew, Petra didn't want to be found.

Jaina didn't care. She needed to see her again.

When she broke into a slight jog, she crashed into a seemingly immovable object she couldn't see and fell to the ground. Raising her lightsaber and igniting the beam on instinct, the influx of light revealed the figure in her path…and the chilling sound of a rebreather her mother had described so well.

"All too easy," Darth Vader growled and raised his crimson blade.

* * *

Petra was getting to the point of pure insanity. The man just wouldn't _die_.

She'd landed multiple killing stabs to his chest, as well as marks to his knees, torso, shoulder, and a few bone-crunching kicks to his ankle, but he never faltered. He just continued his attacks, slashing his red blade towards her head that forced her to block each time. There was no finesse, no style to his combat, just rage-induced, unthinking heaves.

" _How much more time are you going to waste on him?_ " Valkorian appeared at the side of the duel, observing. " _He's barely alive as it is_."

"Shut up!" Petra shouted in frustration as she continued to duel.

" _I could squash him like an insect, if you would only allow me_ ," he offered.

Petra considered it, more for just concerns about how long this was taking, but she quickly shoved the thought aside. She would never have another moment where she lost control.

The man suddenly switched tactics and improved himself in a matter of moments, landing a slash to her shoulder, followed by a crushing force push. She lay, exhausted and in pain before her assailant, rising his blade for the killing blow.

" _I can save you!_ " Valkorian shouted.

"Never again!"

When the man swung downwards, Petra's vision turned white, and for a moment, she was sure she was dead. However, when her vision returned, she was lying face-first on the floor of the Great Hall, with the sound of footsteps approaching.

"Very impressive, Petra Eon," an aged, female voice, spoke. "Very impressive indeed."

Petra scanned herself for injuries, but none remained. She was in perfect health, despite the duel. She looked up to see a black-hooded female, only the bottom half of her white face revealed.

"I know who you are," Petra said, slowly rising to her feet.

"Ah, of course you do," she replied. "I believe your father has shown you my holocron. He is quite the learner."

"Are you the reason why he's been so…dark lately?"

Darth Traya shook her head. "I told him the truth, but I am not the _reason_ he's chosen his path. There are things in this galaxy that are so frightening you could not even imagine…or…perhaps you could?"

Petra looked around. "Where'd Valkorian go?"

"We are free of his influence here," Traya assured. "I must ask you a question, and do not be worried about your companion. She's quite safe."

"What kind of question?"

"Why did you reject Valkorian's power when Darth Sion was about to end your life? Did your survival instinct not take hold? Did desperation lose its way inside you?"

Petra shrugged. "Last time I let him in, I hurt someone I cared about…almost killed him."

Traya almost scoffed. "Is that it? Just the fear that you may have to wear the shame of a murderer…the prodigal daughter who killed the son of the Chosen One?"

After pausing for a moment, Petra sighed. "No…it's more than that. His power…it's…unnatural. It doesn't _feel_ right. If I let him in again, then I'm taking the easy way out, while in turn throwing away everything I was ever taught…because this power doesn't _belong_ to me…it shouldn't belong to anyone."

Traya subtly smiled. "Ah, and that is something only one such as you could conclude. You have no ties to a code, to a set of beliefs. You were forged by your father with the idea that you would have free reign over the Force. To believe in an ideal, is to be willing to betray it. It is something no Sith or Jedi has ever truly learned. That is the lesson of strength.

"But you…you have a willingness to turn away from raw, untamed power. With it, you could defeat any foe before you, even the Sith that is on the cusp of reaching his mantle as we speak, and yet you deny it. _That_ is the true lesson of strength – to turn away from strength that is not your own. Your father has trained you _well_."

Petra wasn't sure what to say, but what Traya was describing felt like a natural impulse, which could only mean that her father had been introducing her to the teachings of Darth Traya for longer than she realized.

"So how do I be rid of him?" Petra asked.

"That…is a question I do not have the answer to…and we have run out of time," Traya said. "Know this, Petra Eon. The times ahead will be dark, and at times, hopeless but remember what you have learned. Valkorian will continue to exert his will upon you, but you must resist. The entity inside your head is the reason your father has become the Dark Lord, Darth Imperius, and he will not stop until Valkorian is vanquished…remember this…Pet-,"

The white returned, and Darth Traya was gone.

* * *

"I have to go, Tahiri," Anakin said regretfully, still holding Tahiri in his arms. "My time has run out."

When she didn't let go, she felt him fading from existence entirely, and desperation clung to her with a vice. "No, Anakin! I've found a way to bring you back! I promise, I'll-," until he faded away completely, leaving her alone again. Her knees crashed onto the stone floor, and she began sobbing profusely. It felt as if she had watched him die all over again, the intense anguish returning to the same capacity. This time, her emotional soul wasn't healed, and she felt herself break.

She felt anger…anger for not being strong enough, for having to see him again, for the fact that no one knew how he truly died. Anger was an outlet to her hate, hatred towards the creatures that killed him, hatred towards Xur Eon for not training him enough for the mission, hatred for the Jedi for making her face so much pain.

Her eyes seared yellow, and she cried no more.

" _Tahiri!_ " she heard, muffled.

" _Tahiri!_ " it was Petra's voice.

"Tahiri!" Petra shouted, and the blond human female awoke lying on the stone floor, her eyes first lying on the woman she had broken out of the Jedi Temple. "Come on," she urged. "It's time to go."

* * *

Jaina somersaulted away from Vader's slash and parried his next, giving her enough time to create space between her and the dark lord. It felt as if time slowed down, and both her and Vader's motions were slowed as they dueled.

After a few parries, Jaina swung at Vader's exposed head, cutting it clean off without much difficulty. His headless body slumped and fell before her, and his helmeted head rolled along the ground. Stunned that he had fallen so easily, Jaina watched as the helmet exploded, revealing the face inside.

It was Jacen.

In that moment, she knew what was happening to her brother.

She awoke at the entrance of the Academy, greeted to the lightning-filled skies and dark clouds. Her head felt like it was spinning, the vision of Darth Vader still fresh in her mind. As she rose to her feet, she reached out for Petra…but she sensed nothing.

"Jaina!" Jag called from the other side of the arched bridge, and then began running towards her. "Are you alright? What happened?"

She met him halfway, and then lead him back across towards her ship. "I went after Petra, and then…,"

Jag grasped her shoulder, so she stopped. "Jaina, you were off the grid for two hours. Petra and Tahiri are gone, Xiso and Zekk couldn't catch them in time, so I came down to find you."

"They're…they're gone?!" Jaina shouted in disbelief, frustrated at herself more than anything. "But that's impossible! I was just-,"

"It's alright, Jaina," Jag insisted. "This mission turned out to be a bad idea anyway. We'll just wait for our next opportunity."

She sighed. "Fine. Let's get out of here. I've had enough of this place," she then marched towards her ship, not caring if Jag accompanied her.

 _My brother is becoming a Sith Lord…and I never saw it coming._

* * *

 **Gus Treta, Moon of Corellia**

 **CIS, Galactic Alliance (Contested Space)**

 **31 ABY**

Jacen crash landed on the Corellian moon, and he could sense Mara right behind him. How she got past his senses and fooled security, he wouldn't know, but she did. She targeted him, shot him down, and now she was hunting him. _This_ was her element. Knowing she had years of experience as the Emperor's hand, it would only be a matter of time until she found him.

Gus Treta was the most barren of Corellia's three moons, but still was large enough to maintain an atmosphere. Around him was a rocky mesa, and in the night sky he could see the battle happening in the distance. His hands were wrapped around his lightsaber hilt, ready to ignite the green blade at the first sign of his hunter.

He stretched his senses down into the moon, feeling everything in a split second, and focused on what he was looking for. An x-wing was nearby, and footprints where its pilot had departed. Movement was everywhere, in the wind, the creatures that called this place home, but he needed something more specific. He needed _alive_ …and _not_ moving.

At the cliff-edge of the small canyon he traversed, he felt it.

Jacen's lightsaber ignited and he covered his head, staving off the potentially lethal strike that Mara unleashed from above. She rolled off his blade and swung for his back, but he moved fast enough to block and retaliate, their lightsaber clashes disturbing the endless quiet this moon normally enjoyed.

Mara landed a kick in his chest, unleashing a lightsaber flurry with a ferocity Jacen had never seen before; the ferocity of a mother who felt her son was in danger. It ended with his lightsaber knocked from his hand and his back to the ground.

She pulled her blaster from her holster and aimed it directly at his head.

"Tell my mother I'm sorry I failed her," Jacen whispered.

"She knows," Mara said, and squeezed the trigger.

* * *

 **Gus Treta, Moon of Corellia**

 **CIS, Galactic Alliance (Contested Space)**

 **31 ABY**

Atop an abandoned landing pad on the same moon, Darth Imperius and Ahsoka Tano clashed their lightsabers together, sending what felt like shockwaves through the Force with each blow. Ahsoka's gold blades threatened to blind Imperius with their brilliance, something he had never prepared for. He also carried two sabers, both crimson, and hammered away at her defenses with his Form VII technique, only to see her dance around him like she had never lost a step.

Neither of them had, and Imperius put it up to their vast experience and knowledge in the Force, making up for what age had taken away.

Their sabers locked, and Ahsoka leaned in. "You're going to _pay_ for taking him away from me!"

"He's still here," Imperius answered through his mask, and they broke their lock, engaging once again. Ahsoka was still faster than he, landing kicks to his chest and legs when he had to go on the defensive, but he was incorporating small uses of Force Lightning to counter her constant movement. On the attack, he was superior, as she could not keep up a strong defense without breaking in for a counterattack, something he knew was coming, and exposed on multiple instances. She learned quickly, however, and on occasion flipped her blades to forward grip to fend off his flurries.

She hit pay-dirt when he overextended, and she slashed at his neck, just missing by mere inches, but searing a hole in the bottom of his hood. He tried to back off, but she raised both hands and unleashed her own fit of Force Lightning, knocking him off his feet and burning his robes. Stopping the flow so she wouldn't fall too far, she leapt forward, landing beside him and kicking one hilt from his hand before placing that foot on his neck.

"I am the Vanguard of Light, Sith," Ahsoka said, rising her blade. "And you killed my husband."

* * *

Jacen rolled away with a desperate fit of speed, calling his saber back into his hand before Mara could fire again, deflecting each bolt with precision. Fed up with its ineffectiveness, Mara toss it away and roared, pouncing atop Jacen. They rolled along the ground, scraping each other on the rocks as they did so, but unable to land anything lethal. Jacen finally threw her off with enhanced Force strength, giving him a chance to rise to his feet, and suddenly he understood.

It was Mara who had to die. He didn't know why, but he just knew. _She_ was the sacrifice he had to make.

"You can't beat me," Jacen warned, shrugging off aches and fractured bones from their brawl. "It's not meant to be."

Mara grit her teeth. "I say it is."

They clashed again.

* * *

Imperius imposed sheer will into the Force, and Ahsoka was thrown off him just enough for him to roll away and regain his blades, attacking her like a madman. His robes were shredded, his armor scratched, taking away the glory it once displayed, but he pressed on, and his advance awarded him a hard punch to her forehead. Dazed, Ahsoka was unable to stop a knee to her stomach that winded her, and another blow that brought her to her knees.

No decapitating blow came.

"Ahsoka, please don't-," he began.

She took advantage of his falter and swept him off his feet, which he was able to recover from before tumbling to the ground. "Don't pretend to be merciful!" she growled, clashing their sabers again. "Xur Eon is dead!"

* * *

Jacen was hurt, _bad_ , but so was Mara. With heavy breaths, he prepared for what would be the last exchange for one of them. They both charged, limping as they did so, and slashed at each other, hoping for the best. He felt it, a searing gash in his thigh, and he fell for what was probably the last time. When he turned to Mara, he saw her approaching him, lightsaber in hand. Her face was fierce with the power of will, until it broke.

She collapsed, a cut through her abdomen, and Jacen could feel it. It was only a matter of time now.

"I'm sorry, Mara," he forced himself to his feet, trying to heal his wound as he did so. "It had to be you. You have no idea how many lives you're saving."

Mara looked up, her face covered in dirt, barely clinging to life. "You're…just…like…Palpatine."

"No," Jacen shook his head. "It's not about ambition. It's about building a better world."

Mara shook her head. "You'll…never…win. Luke…will crush you…and you'll never…. hurt…my Ben."

Jacen waited, and before long, he felt it: the final discharge in the Force.

 _Ben_ was the last word she ever spoke.

* * *

Imperius felt it, as did Ahsoka. He staggered, as did she, but he didn't take advantage. He felt nothing but cold, pure rage, and he pushed Ahsoka across the platform with all his might, giving him enough space to turn and run towards his ship, hoping it could still fly him away.

Ahsoka didn't get up. She just lay on the platform with tears streaming down her face, ashamed with the rage that she had let take her over…and how it cost her the life of a dear friend.

* * *

 **TIE-Advanced Fighter, Gus Treta Orbit**

 **CIS, Galactic Alliance**

 **31 ABY**

Lumiya felt the Force shift, and she knew the defining moment had come. The Dark Lord needed her, and she began to enter the atmosphere of Corellia's moon.

She prepared for death, and she intended to die well.

* * *

Just behind her, Ben tailed her ship in an x-wing, just outside of the Corellian combat zone. He heard his name repeated over and over – _Ben, Ben, Ben, Ben_ – until it ceased entirely.

His eyes were blinded by tears. "Mom," he yelled. " _Mom!_ "

* * *

 **Stealth-X X-Wing, En route to Corellia**

 **Hyperspace**

 **31 ABY**

In his cockpit, Luke felt a hand brush by his hair, and as he reached for it, he knew his world had ended.

* * *

He came out of hyperspace just where he had felt Mara die, the moon of Gus Treta, and he could sense Lumiya practically taunting him to come to the surface. He wasted no time…if she wanted a death wish, then he would give it to her.

 _This is the price for Mara's life._

He set down in a small canyon, where he saw Lumiya standing over her limp body, lightwhip in hand. With a fit of rage that he didn't bother to control, he jumped from the cockpit and charged her, his emerald blade ignited. They exchanged blows, and he could feel her lax effort.

"You killed my Mara," he growled.

"I did," she nodded, looking as if she was smiling. "Nothing personal. I swore an oath to the Emperor after, all. You know how those work."

Luke charged forward, deflecting her slashes and inching forward until he was right on top of her. With a firm grip to her shoulder, he impaled her through the chest, and sliced at her neck.

Lumiya was dead, and Luke could breathe again.

* * *

 **Outer Rim Territories**

 **Order of Revan**

 **31 ABY**

Petra could feel it in the Force…Mara Jade was dead.

She felt responsible; guilty for her inability to control herself, and if she had, then maybe she would've been able to save her. Who killed her was still a mystery to her, but someone with her power might have been enough to avoid it.

Best she could do was focus on getting back to the Jedi, her mother, and making it right.

Sitting in the pilot's chair, Petra prepared the jump to hyperspace when Tahiri finally returned to the cockpit.

"I was wondering when you'd get out of the refresher," Petra noted. "We're about to-," she was cut off when a stun blast knocked her unconscious, before she even had time to realize what had happened.

Tahiri pocketed her holdout blaster and slipped handcuffs onto Petra's wrist, dragging her out of the pilot's chair. "I'm sorry, Petra, but this is for Anakin."

With the togruta-zabrak secured, Tahiri reprogrammed the navi-computer and jumped to hyperspace.

To her new master.


	12. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

 **Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

 **Neutral Zone**

 **31 ABY**

Jaina kept her hood over her head as many of her friends and family in the Jedi Order walked the Temple steps alongside a floating casket; the casket of Mara Jade Skywalker. The walk was silent and respectful, even with all that had happened. No one among the Jedi dared to ruin the funeral walk of the Grand Master's wife.

Luke led out in front, his son Ben beside him, and Jaina could feel the silent sorrow shared between the two. She couldn't imagine what they could possibly be going through, and she was amazed how well Ben was holding up for a boy his age. He may have been growing up quickly, but nothing could prepare anyone for something as horrible as this.

She didn't need anyone to comfort her. Her blunder on Malachor resulted in the continued endangerment of her closest friend, and her failure to recognize what was happening to her brother only made the sting worse. It was good Jacen hadn't shown himself, otherwise she would've felt inclined to kill him on sight.

For now, she just stayed at peace with herself, and gave respect to the woman who paid for their family's mistakes.

* * *

 _ **Anakin Solo**_ **, Coruscant Orbit**

 **Neutral Zone**

 **31 ABY**

Jacen strode into the hangar bay, a contingent of GAG troopers behind him as they approached the shuttle they had just received. He had never felt so great in his life. It was finally over…he was a Sith Lord.

The shuttle's ramp lowered, and the GAG troopers held their blasters up and at the ready. Jacen had no such tension. He knew his new apprentice had succeeded.

Tahiri appeared, dirty and flustered, and dragging a stunned Petra Eon behind her. Jacen couldn't help but smile at the sight. "She's stunned," she said, and the GAG troopers turned to Jacen.

He flicked his head. "Detain her to the cell block. I'll attend to her in time," he ordered. The troopers surrounded the incapacitated Revanite general, six men in all, and began dragging her body out of the hangar bay, with no regard to her or her health. Once they were gone, Jacen dismissed the remaining two guards. "Leave us." Once they were alone, Jacen turned to the shorter female, who was obviously trying to contain her emotions. "You regret what you did, don't you?"

Tahiri placed her hands behind her back and shook her head. "No. It was for Anakin, and knowing that, I know it was worth it, Colonel."

Jacen smiled and placed a hand behind her back, leading her out of the hangar. "We're going to be doing great things together, _Apprentice_."

Tahiri nodded, allowing Jacen to lead her along. The day Petra found her in that bar, only the night before had Jacen met her, and during that meeting, he flow-walked with her…to the day Anakin died. He showed her it was possible to bring him back to life…to change history.

That was the night she agreed to bring in Petra Eon, and become his apprentice.

"Of course…my master."

* * *

 **Administrative Palace, Bespin**

 **Galactic Alliance**

 **31 ABY**

" _After the joint invasion of Corellia, the Galactic Alliance has seized control of the planet and declared martial law for the foreseeable future. Colonel Jacen Solo and the Galactic Alliance Guard have also officially removed Chief of State Cal Omas from office, claiming he conspired with Insurgent Chief of State Thrackan Sal-Solo and will face charges of treason. Solo has also declared himself and Admiral Cha Niathal Joint Chiefs of State of the Galactic Alliance until the conflict has ended-_ ,"

Han shut off the vidscreen and tossed the remote aside, leaning forward in the sofa as he wiped his face with his hands. Leia sat beside him, still reeling from the cold nothingness she felt from her son as he pursued them over Corellia.

"He won't be able to touch you here," Lando Calrissian assured, sitting across in his own chair. "I can promise you that."

Han wasn't concerned about his own safety. His mind was wandering through Jacen's childhood and upbringing, trying to find the place where he failed as a father, and could possibly explain why he had become a monster. "How could we have let this happen?" Han asked.

"No one saw it coming," Leia assured him. "Not Luke, not Ahsoka, not Jaina…no one."

"We _have_ to do something."

Lando raised his hand. "I'd advise against that. Jacen's got his hounds looking all over for you, and I think you should wait until this all boils down."

Han knew he was right, but it hardly made him feel any better. Leia grasped ahold of his shoulder. "We'll figure it out. We'll lay low for a while, and _then_ we'll do something about that kid."

"Whatever you say, Princess."

* * *

 _ **Anakin Solo**_ **, Detention Level, Coruscant Orbit**

 **Neutral Zone**

 **31 ABY**

"I'm going to kill you," Petra spat venom at her father's mask, who sat only feet away from his restrained daughter. She was just sitting on the metal bench, but chained at her wrists, torso, and ankles with durasteel bonds. "You _made_ Tahiri betray me."

"I had nothing to do with that," Imperius insisted once again. "If it were up to me I would've just tracked you down at brought you here myself."

"You can't keep me here."

"Oh, but we can. You tried to murder the Grand Master of the Jedi Order, Petra. That doesn't look good on your criminal record," Imperius shook his head. "Most citizens would serve 25 for that."

Petra laughed out loud. "You still think you're the good guys, don't you? You think you're saving the galaxy with what you're doing, but you're wrong. The Jedi can see through your lies. They'll stop you. _I'll_ stop you, and when you're lying in the ashes of your world…you'll know it was _I_ …your own daughter…who beat you, and I know I'll have made the real him proud."

"Perhaps you will, Petra," Imperius said, touching her shoulder. "Perhaps-,"

Imperius' vision was shocked into oblivion, and all he heard was one voice:

 _There is no death, there is only the Force, and_ I _am its master._

Xur Eon ran inside his subconscious, hiding in the deepest, darkest hole he could find under the veil of Darth Imperius, and he stayed there, hoping that everything he had done would not be in vain.

When it subsided, Imperius was standing up, looking down at Petra with a smirk on her face. "Find something?" she asked.

Imperius said nothing as he turned to leave the cell, but just before the door shut, he said, "Goodbye, Petra. Jacen will be here to see you soon."

The door shut, and Petra was alone again. "Can't wait."

" _Your father is dead, Petra,_ " Valkorian returned in her head.

She nodded. "I know."

Valkorian chuckled. " _Then you are ready_."

* * *

Imperius walked down the command bridge of the _Anakin Solo_ to stand alongside Jacen, who looked out into the stars with Coruscant below them. His arms were crossed, and beside him stood Tahiri, dressed in a black GAG uniform with a look of resolve behind her face.

"She is ready for you, Jacen," Imperius crossed his own arms and looked out as well.

"Caedus," Jacen corrected.

Imperius gave him a quizzical look behind his mask.

"My name," he clarified. "My name is Darth Caedus."

So, it was at last. Jacen Solo was a Sith Lord, and Imperius was ready to begin the real work of reshaping the galaxy. Deep inside, however, Xur Eon was trembling, sulking, and unsure how he was going to finish his mission now.

Darth Vitiate had returned…and he was in the body of his daughter.


End file.
